a late time of life
"old age is not for sissies"
"he's showing his years"
"age hasn't slowed him down at all"
"a beard white with eld"
"on the brink of geezerhood"
The whole duration of a being, whether animal, plant, or other kind, being alive.
"The lab technician ran an age analysis to separate the DNA fragments by size."
Initialism of agarose gel electrophoresis.
In plain English: Age is the amount of time that has passed since you were born.
"His age is a secret that no one knows."
Usage: As a noun in everyday English, age refers to the length of time a person or thing has existed, often measured in years. Do not confuse this common usage with scientific abbreviations like AGE, which stands for advanced glycation end products or similar technical terms.
To cause to grow old; to impart the characteristics of age to.
"The harsh winter wind began to age the wooden fence, turning its once-smooth planks into cracked and grayed beams."
In plain English: To age means to get older over time.
"The old photographs began to age quickly when left in the hot sun."
Usage: Use the verb "age" when something naturally deteriorates over time or is intentionally treated to develop flavor and complexity, such as wine maturing in oak barrels. Do not use it for items that simply break down due to wear and tear unless you specifically mean they are undergoing a controlled aging process.
The word "age" entered English from the Old French term aage, which originally referred to a lifetime or period of life before being adopted into Middle English. This foreign borrowing eventually replaced the native Old English word ieldu for the same concept.