Emily Dickinson Lexicon

OLD, a. [Sax. eald; G. alt; D. οud; Dan. ælde, old age.]

1. Advanced far in years or life; having lived beyond the middle period, or rather toward the end of life, or toward the end of the ordinary term of living; applied to animals, or plants; as, an old man; an old age; an old camel or horse; an old tree. This adjective is placed after the noun that designates the time lived. Abraham was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Gen. xii.
2. Having been long made or used; decayed by time; as, an old garment; an old house.
3. Being of long continuance; begun long ago; as, an old a acquaintance.
4. Having been long made; not new or fresh; as, old wine.
5. Being of a former year's growth; not of the last crop; as, old wheat; old hay.
6. Ancient; that existed in former ages; as, the old inhabitants of Britain; the old Romans.
7. Of any duration whatever; as, a year old; seven years old. How old art thou?
8. Subsisting before something else. He built a new house on the site of the old one. The old law is repealed by the new.
9. Long practiced. He is grown old in vice. He is an old offender.
10. That has been long cultivated; as, old land; an old farm; opposed to new land, land lately cleared and cultivated. America.
11. More than enough; great. If a man were porter of hellgate, he should have old turning of the key. Shak.
12. In vulgar language, crafty; cunning. Of old, long ago; from ancient times; as, in days of old. Dryden. We apply old chiefly to things subject to decay. We never say, the old sun, or an old mountain.