n(1)年龄(amount of time that a person，animal or a thing has existed)[C，U]：What～is she?(What is her～? = How old is she?) 她多大? She's five years of ～(= five years old).她五岁。What was your～last birthday? 上次生日时你多大?“What～s are your sons?” “Their～s are five and seven.”“你的儿子们多大了?”“一个五岁，一个七岁。” “At what～did he die?”“他多大年纪时死的?” “(He died) at the～of 56/in the fifty-sixth year of his～(fml)/in his fifty-sixth year (infml).”“(他)56岁时(死的)。”be (of)/look the same～是/看样子同年龄; be twice sb's～是某人年龄的两倍;be about sb's～与某人年龄相近;be of an～with sb与某人同龄;be (of) sb's～与某人同龄;I have a daughter of your～.我有一个与你同龄的女儿。When I was (at) your～I used to write novels.我在你这么大时写过小说。look one's～看起来像某人的实际年龄;look older than one's～显得比实际年龄大;tell sb's～说出某人的年龄;a man of/past middle～中年人/过了中年的人;live to a great～活到高龄;reach the～of 80 活到80岁;in one's old～在老年的时候;under/over the～of twenty 不足/超过20岁;You should never ask a lady's～.决不要问女士的年龄。～limit 年龄限制;〖同〗lifetime;

(2)老(晚)年(later part of the life of a person or sth)[U]：His back was bent/ Her face wrinkled with～.由于年纪大他的背驼了/她的脸长皱纹了。Wisdom comes/ Wine improves with～.人越老越贤明/酒由于年头长而变得更醇。feel one's～感觉老了;You can see plenty of signs of～in this building.这座大楼到处可见年代已久的痕迹。〖反〗youth，childhood;

(3)(界限)年龄(particular time of life at which a person becomes able or not able to do sth)[U，(C)]：be/come/become of～(到)成年(年龄)(通常为18岁或21岁);(be)of an～达到该做某事的年龄;under/over～低于/超过(规定)年龄;the～of discretion/consent 懂事年龄/同意年龄(可答应发生性关系的年龄);the awkward～(将近成年前的)尴尬年龄;at a tender～(of tender～)在不成熟的年龄;

(4)时代，世纪(distinctive period of history or geology)[C，通常sing]：the Ice/ Bronze/Iron/Stone/Elizabethan A～冰河/青铜/铁器/石器/伊丽莎白时代;the modern/nuclear/atomic/space～当代/核子时代/原子时代/太空时代;live in a highly civilized～生活在一个高度文明的时代;the A～of Shakespeare/the Roman emperors莎士比亚/罗马诸皇时代;the～of the microchip/dinosaurs 微型集成电路/恐龙时代;the Middle A～s 中世纪;the spirit of the～时代精神;be behind the～落后于时代;This machine was the wonder of the～.这机器是那个时代的奇迹。〖同〗era，epoch，period;

(5)很长时间(very long time)[C，通常pl](infml)：It's (been)～s/an～since I had a real holiday.我有很长时间没有真正度假了。It seemed an～before we arrived.似乎过了漫长的时间我们才到达。We have been waiting for～s/an～.我们等了很长时间啦。She has not written to me for～s.她有很长时间没给我写信了。It took her～s/an～to dress.她穿衣服费了很长时间。She took～s/an～to dress.她穿衣服要费很长时间。The earth changed as the～s passed.地球随着漫长年代的逝去而变迁。

→′age-group，′age-bracket n 年龄段;某一年龄的人;′ageless adj 长生不老的;永恒的;′age-long adj 长期(久)的;′age-old adj 古老的;久远的;′ageism，agism n 对老年人的歧视;

v(1)(使)变(苍)老((cause to) become old or show signs of age)[I，T+n]：He is～ing fast.他在迅速衰老。He has～d a lot.他老了许多。After her husband's death she～d quickly.丈夫死后她很快就变老了。be～ing gracefully 老而风韵不减;The worry/strain/tragedy～d him rapidly.忧愁/紧张/悲惨事件使他很快变老了。Her troubles have～d her.她的烦恼使她变老了。find sb～d 发现某人老了;

(2)(使)变陈((cause or allow wine，cheese，wood，etc to)become mature by keeping or treating)[T+n，I]：Wine is～d in barrels and then in bottles.酒放在桶里陈化后倒进瓶里再陈。The wine～d well.这酒存放多年，已很醇了。The cheese was～d for two years before being ready for market.这奶酪出售前陈了两年。He～d the wood for several months.他把那木料搁置干化了好几个月。〖同〗mature，ripen;

→′ageing，aging n 衰老;变陈;aged adj;

【辨异】age和era、epoch、period都有“时代”之意，往往可以通用，如：the Elizabethan age/era/epoch/period(伊丽莎白时代);age和period为普通用语，era和epoch 为较正式用语，常可互换;age通常指相当长的时间，与名人或某一显著特点有关;era指一个较长的时期，可分为多个period，指发生巨大变革的时代，如：an era of invention(一个发明时代);epoch 则指一个era的开始;period可长可短，可包含多个epoch，具有某一特征，如：a period of expansion(扩张的时代)。