an age
age noun, verbBrE /eɪdʒ/
NAmE /eɪdʒ/
noun
word origin
thesaurus
collocations
example bank1 [countable, uncountable] the number of years that a person has lived or a thing has existed
He left school at the age of 18. She needs more friends of her own age.children from 5–10 years of ageYoung people of all ages go there to meet.When I was your age I was already married.He started playing the piano at an early age.All ages admitted.Children over the age of 12 must pay full fare.She was beginning to feel her age (= feel that she was getting old).He was tall for his age (= taller than you would expect, considering his age).There's a big age gap between them (= a big difference in their ages).ways of calculating the age of the earth 2 [uncountable, countable] a particular period of a person's lifemiddle age15 is an awkward age. He died of old age. 
see also the third age 3 [countable] a particular period of historythe nuclear agethe age of the computer see also Bronze Age, Iron Age, New Age, Stone Age 4 [uncountable] the state of being oldWine improves with age. The jacket was showing signs of age.the wisdom that comes with age 5 ages [plural] (also an age [singular]) (informal, especially BrE) a very long timeI waited for ages. It'll probably take ages to find a parking space.Carlos left ages ago.It's been an age since we've seen them. 6 [countable] (geology) a length of time which is a division of an epoch
ˌbe/ˌact your ˈageto behave in a way that is suitable for sb of your age and not as though you were much youngerIsn't it time you started acting your age? ˌcome of ˈage 1 when a person comes of age, they reach the age when they have an adult's legal rights and responsibilitiesThe money will go to the children when they come of age. see also coming of age 2 if sth comes of age, it reaches the stage of development at which people accept and value itIt was the year that concern for the environment really came of age. ˌlook your ˈageto seem as old as you really are and not younger or olderShe doesn't look her age; I thought she was ten years younger. ˌunder ˈagenot legally old enough to do a particular thingIt is illegal to sell cigarettes to children who are under age. see also underage more at sb's advanced age at advanced, of a certain age at certain, in this day and age at day, feel your age at feel v., a/the grand old age at grand adj., a/the ripe old age (of…) at ripe verb
verb forms word origin example bank
In BrE the present participle can also be spelled age•ing. 1 [intransitive]to become olderAs he aged, his memory got worse.The population is aging (= more people are living longer). 2 [transitive] to make sb/sth look, feel or seem older~ sb The shock has aged her.~ sth Exposure to the sun ages the skin.These photos have been artificially aged. 3 [intransitive, transitive] to develop in flavour over a period of time; to allow sth to do this 
matureThe cheese is left to age for at least a year.~ sth The wine is aged in oak casks.
