Found 1 items, similar to old wife.
English → English (gcide) Definition: old wife Sea bream \Sea" bream`\ (Zo["o]l.) Any one of several species of sparoid fishes, especially the common European species (Pagellus centrodontus), the Spanish (P. Oweni), and the black sea bream (Cantharus lineatus ); -- called also old wife. [1913 Webster] Old \Old\, a. [Compar. Older; superl. Oldest.] [OE. old, ald, AS. ald, eald; akin to D. oud, OS. ald, OFries. ald, old, G. alt, Goth. alpeis, and also to Goth. alan to grow up, Icel. ala to bear, produce, bring up, L. alere to nourish. Cf. Adult, Alderman, Aliment, Auld, Elder.] [1913 Webster] 1. Not young; advanced far in years or life; having lived till toward the end of the ordinary term of living; as, an old man; an old age; an old horse; an old tree. [1913 Webster] Let not old age disgrace my high desire. --Sir P. Sidney. [1913 Webster] The melancholy news that we grow old. --Young. [1913 Webster] 2. Not new or fresh; not recently made or produced; having existed for a long time; as, old wine; an old friendship. “An old acquaintance.” --Camden. [1913 Webster] 3. Formerly existing; ancient; not modern; preceding; original; as, an old law; an old custom; an old promise. “The old schools of Greece.” --Milton. “The character of the old Ligurians.” --Addison. [1913 Webster] 4. Continued in life; advanced in the course of existence; having (a certain) length of existence; -- designating the age of a person or thing; as, an infant a few hours old; a cathedral centuries old. [1913 Webster] And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou? --Cen. xlvii. 8. [1913 Webster] Note: In this use old regularly follows the noun that designates the age; as, she was eight years old. [1913 Webster] 5. Long practiced; hence, skilled; experienced; cunning; as, an old offender; old in vice. [1913 Webster] Vane, young in years, but in sage counsel old. --Milton. [1913 Webster] 6. Long cultivated; as, an old farm; old land, as opposed to new land, that is, to land lately cleared. [1913 Webster] 7. Worn out; weakened or exhausted by use; past usefulness; as, old shoes; old clothes. [1913 Webster] 8. More than enough; abundant. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] If a man were porter of hell gate, he should have old turning the key. --Shak. [1913 Webster] 9. Aged; antiquated; hence, wanting in the mental vigor or other qualities belonging to youth; -- used disparagingly as a term of reproach. [1913 Webster] 10. Old-fashioned; wonted; customary; as of old; as, the good old times; hence, colloquially, gay; jolly. [1913 Webster] 11. Used colloquially as a term of cordiality and familiarity. “Go thy ways, old lad.” --Shak. [1913 Webster] Old age, advanced years; the latter period of life. Old bachelor. See Bachelor, 1. Old Catholics. See under Catholic. Old English. See under English. n., 2. Old Nick, Old Scratch, the devil. Old lady (Zo["o]l.), a large European noctuid moth (Mormo maura ). Old maid. (a) A woman, somewhat advanced in years, who has never been married; a spinster. (b) (Bot.) A West Indian name for the pink-flowered periwinkle (Vinca rosea). (c) A simple game of cards, played by matching them. The person with whom the odd card is left is the old maid. Old man's beard. (Bot.) (a) The traveler's joy (Clematis Vitalba). So named from the abundant long feathery awns of its fruit. (b) The Tillandsia usneoides. See Tillandsia. Old man's head (Bot.), a columnar cactus (Pilocereus senilis ), native of Mexico, covered towards the top with long white hairs. Old red sandstone (Geol.), a series of red sandstone rocks situated below the rocks of the Carboniferous age and comprising various strata of siliceous sandstones and conglomerates. See Sandstone, and the Chart of Geology. Old school, a school or party belonging to a former time, or preserving the character, manner, or opinions of a former time; as, a gentleman of the old school; -- used also adjectively; as, Old-School Presbyterians. Old sledge, an old and well-known game of cards, called also all fours, and high, low, Jack, and the game. Old squaw (Zo["o]l.), a duck (Clangula hyemalis) inhabiting the northern parts of both hemispheres. The adult male is varied with black and white and is remarkable for the length of its tail. Called also longtailed duck, south southerly, callow, hareld, and old wife. Old style. (Chron.) See the Note under Style. Old Testament. See Old Testament under Testament, and see tanak. Old wife. [In the senses b and c written also oldwife.] (a) A prating old woman; a gossip. Refuse profane and old wives' fables. --1 Tim. iv. 7. (b) (Zo["o]l.) The local name of various fishes, as the European black sea bream (Cantharus lineatus), the American alewife, etc. (c) (Zo["o]l.) A duck; the old squaw. Old World, the Eastern Hemisphere. [1913 Webster] Syn: Aged; ancient; pristine; primitive; antique; antiquated; old-fashioned; obsolete. See Ancient. [1913 Webster] Spot \Spot\ (sp[o^]t), n. [Cf. Scot. & D. spat, Dan. spette, Sw. spott spittle, slaver; from the root of E. spit. See Spit to eject from the mouth, and cf. Spatter.] 1. A mark on a substance or body made by foreign matter; a blot; a place discolored. [1913 Webster] Out, damned spot! Out, I say! --Shak. [1913 Webster] 2. A stain on character or reputation; something that soils purity; disgrace; reproach; fault; blemish. [1913 Webster] Yet Chloe, sure, was formed without a spot. --Pope. [1913 Webster] 3. A small part of a different color from the main part, or from the ground upon which it is; as, the spots of a leopard; the spots on a playing card. [1913 Webster] 4. A small extent of space; a place; any particular place. “Fixed to one spot.” --Otway. [1913 Webster] That spot to which I point is Paradise. --Milton. [1913 Webster] “A jolly place,” said he, ``in times of old! But something ails it now: the spot is cursed.'' --Wordsworth. [1913 Webster] 5. (Zo["o]l.) A variety of the common domestic pigeon, so called from a spot on its head just above its beak. [1913 Webster] 6. (Zo["o]l.) (a) A sci[ae]noid food fish (Liostomus xanthurus) of the Atlantic coast of the United States. It has a black spot behind the shoulders and fifteen oblique dark bars on the sides. Called also goody, Lafayette, masooka, and old wife. (b) The southern redfish, or red horse, which has a spot on each side at the base of the tail. See Redfish. [1913 Webster] 7. pl. Commodities, as merchandise and cotton, sold for immediate delivery. [Broker's Cant] [1913 Webster] Crescent spot (Zo["o]l.), any butterfly of the family Melit[ae]id[ae] having crescent-shaped white spots along the margins of the red or brown wings. Spot lens (Microscopy), a condensing lens in which the light is confined to an annular pencil by means of a small, round diaphragm (the spot), and used in dark-field illumination; -- called also spotted lens. Spot rump (Zo["o]l.), the Hudsonian godwit (Limosa h[ae]mastica ). Spots on the sun. (Astron.) See Sun spot, ander Sun. On the spot, or Upon the spot, immediately; before moving; without changing place; as, he made his decision on the spot. It was determined upon the spot. --Swift. [1913 Webster] Syn: Stain; flaw; speck; blot; disgrace; reproach; fault; blemish; place; site; locality. [1913 Webster]