ages

See also: âges, âgés, äges, %ages, and -ages

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈeɪ.d͡ʒɪz/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪdʒɪz

Noun

ages

1. plural of age
2. (hyperbolic) A long time.

   haven't seen them in ages;   haven't seen them for ages

   It'll be ages until/before we meet again.

   • 1889, Rudyard Kipling, “The Hill of Illusion”, in Under the Deodars, Boston: The Greenock Press, published 1899, page 86:

     Does the Station go on still? That was ages and ages ago. It must be crumbling to pieces. All except the Amirtollah kutcha road. I don't believe that could crumble till the Day of Judgment.

   • 1918 February (date written), Katherine Mansfield [pseudonym; Kathleen Mansfield Murry], “Je ne parle pas français”, in Bliss and Other Stories, London: Constable & Company, published 1920, →OCLC, page 108:

     “He's been gone ages,” she said, and she went with little light steps to the door, opened it, and crossed the passage into his room.

   • 2012, Psychology for Nurses and the Caring Professions, UK: McGraw-Hill Education, →ISBN, page 250:

     Judith, aged 58, described her experience of seeking help for persistent back pain: "You don't actually see the consultant. You wait for ages and ages and ages and you come out feeling totally baffled really."

4. (with the) History (past events): Astronomic and geologic history; human history.

   Trees have continually evolved throughout the ages.

   Humans have warred with one another throughout the ages.

Derived terms

• ageslong
• for the ages, one for the ages

Translations

a long time

• Catalan: anys i panys (ca)
• Finnish: aikoihin (fi)
• Hebrew: עִדָּנִים (he) m pl (iddaním), יוֹבְלוֹת (he) m pl (yovlót, literally “jubilees”)
• Māori: pōpōroa, pōpōroroa

Verb

ages

1. third-person singular simple present indicative of age

Anagrams

• SEGA, sega, geas, sage, Sega, Sage

Cornish

Alternative forms

• es
• ès (Standard Cornish)

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “frwikt suggests derivation from hag.”) Cognate with Breton eget.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈaɡɛz/

Preposition

ages

1. than (introduces part of comparison)

   Synonym: avel

Inflection

Inflection of ages

		singular	plural
1st person		agesov	ageson
2nd person		agesos	agesowgh
3rd person	m	agesso	agessa
	f	agessi

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aʒ/

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

Noun

ages m

1. plural of age

Anagrams

• sage

Galician

Verb

ages

1. (reintegrationist norm) second-person singular present indicative of agir

Latin

Verb

agēs

1. second-person singular future active indicative of agō

Middle English

Noun

ages

1. plural of age

Portuguese

Verb

ages

1. second-person singular present indicative of agir

Romani

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aɡes/

Adverb

ages

1. today

Spanish

Verb

ages

1. second-person singular present indicative of agir