| 释义 |
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2024an•cient1 /ˈeɪnʃənt/USA pronunciation adj. - Ancient Historyof, dating from, or in a time long past, esp. before the end of the Western Roman Empire a.d. 476:ancient civilizations of Greece and Egypt.
- very old;
aged:an ancient wise man.
n. [countable] - the ancients, the civilized people of a long time ago, esp. the Greeks, Romans, Hebrews, and Egyptians:the writings and culture of the ancients.
- a very old person.
an•cient•ness, n. [uncountable] WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024an•cient1 (ān′shənt),USA pronunciation adj. - Ancient Historyof or in time long past, esp. before the end of the Western Roman Empire a.d. 476:ancient history.
- dating from a remote period;
of great age:ancient rocks; ancient trees. - very old;
aged:an ancient folk tale. - being old in wisdom and experience;
venerable. - old-fashioned or antique.
n. - a person who lived in ancient times.
- one of the classical writers of antiquity.
- a very old or aged person, esp. if venerable or patriarchal.
- ancients:
- the civilized peoples, nations, or cultures of antiquity, as the Greeks, Romans, Hebrews, and Egyptians (usually prec. by the).
- the writers, artists, and philosophers of ancient times, esp. those of Greece and Rome.
- Vulgar Latin *antiānus, equivalent. to Latin ante(ā) before (see ante-) + -ānus -an; late Middle English forms with -t- developed by confusion with the present participle ending -nt (see -ent)
- Anglo-French; Old French ancien
- Middle English auncien 1300–50
- 2, 3.See corresponding entry in Unabridged Ancient, antiquated, antique, old- fashioned refer to something dating from the past. Ancient implies existence or first occurrence in a distant past:an ancient custom.Antiquated connotes something too old or no longer useful:an antiquated building.Antique suggests a curious or pleasing quality in something old:antique furniture.Old-fashioned may disparage something as being out of date or may approve something old as being superior:an old-fashioned hat; old-fashioned courtesy.
- 2, 3.See corresponding entry in Unabridged new, modern.
an•cient2 (ān′shənt),USA pronunciation n. [Obs.]- the bearer of a flag.
- a flag, banner, or standard;
ensign.
- variant of ensign by confusion with ancient1 1545–55
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: ancient /ˈeɪnʃənt/ adj - dating from very long ago: ancient ruins
- very old; aged
- of the far past, esp before the collapse of the Western Roman Empire (476 ad)
n - (often plural) a member of a civilized nation in the ancient world, esp a Greek, Roman, or Hebrew
- (often plural) one of the classical authors of Greek or Roman antiquity
- archaic an old man
Etymology: 14th Century: from Old French ancien, from Vulgar Latin anteanus (unattested), from Latin ante beforeˈancientness n |