| 单词 | antediluvian |
| 释义 | antediluvian (once / 8431 pages) adjn Antediluvian means "before the flood" — that is, the Biblical flood with Noah's ark. Generally, though, the word is used — often humorously — to describe something really, really old. In popular language, antediluvian is almost always used to exaggerate how comically, ridiculously old and out-of-date something is. You may laugh at your parents' antediluvian ideas of what's proper for going out on a date. And how about those antediluvian computers they still insist are fine! When the word was coined in the seventeenth century, however, it was meant literally. Back then, the science of reconstructing the Earth's history used the Bible as a frame of reference. WORD FAMILYantediluvian: antediluvians+/diluvian: antediluvian, postdiluvian/postdiluvian: postdiluvians USAGE EXAMPLESWestern audiences, he said, “find them as antediluvian as the battle for workers’ rights in England in the time of Marx.” New York Times(Oct 09, 2016) Davis acknowledged that previously "we were still rather antediluvian in our technical abilities here." US News(Sep 27, 2016) Davis acknowledged that previously “we were still rather antediluvian in our technical abilities here.” Seattle Times(Sep 27, 2016) 1adj of or relating to the period before the biblical flood antediluvian man Syn antediluvial 2adj so extremely old as seeming to belong to an earlier period a ramshackle antediluvian tenement antediluvian ideas Syn antiquated, archaic old of long duration; not new 3n any of the early patriarchs who lived prior to the Noachian deluge Syn|Hyper antediluvian patriarch patriarch any of the early biblical characters regarded as fathers of the human race 4n a very old person Syn|Hyper ancient golden ager, old person, oldster, senior citizen an elderly person |
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