different between ancient vs used

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?e?n.(t)??nt/

Etymology 1

From Middle English auncyen, borrowed from Old French ancien (“old”), from Vulgar Latin root *anteanus, from Latin ante (“before”). Compare antique.

Alternative forms

• anchient, aunchient, auncient, auntient, awncient, awntient (obsolete)
• antient (obsolete outside freemasonry)

Adjective

ancient (comparative ancienter or more ancient, superlative ancientest or most ancient)

1. Having lasted from a remote period; having been of long duration; of great age, very old.
2. Existent or occurring in time long past, usually in remote ages; belonging to or associated with antiquity; old, as opposed to modern.
3. (historical) Relating to antiquity as a primarily European historical period; the time before the Middle Ages.
4. (obsolete) Experienced; versed.
   • 1550, Thomas Cranmer, A Defence of the True and Catholick Doctrine of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ; with a Confutation of sundry Errors concerning the same, grounded and stablished upon God's Holy Word, and approved by the consent of the most ancient Doc. tors of the Church

     approved by the consent of the moste ancient doctors of the Churche [part of the book title]

5. (obsolete) Former; sometime.

Synonyms

• (very old): aged, eldern, hoary; see also Thesaurus:old

Antonyms

• modern

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Noun

ancient (plural ancients)

1. A person who is very old.
2. A person who lived in ancient times.
3. (Britain, law) One of the senior members of the Inns of Court or of Chancery.
4. (obsolete) A senior; an elder; a predecessor.
   • 1594, Richard Hooker, Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie

     Junius and Andronicus […] in Christianity […] were his ancients.

Synonyms

• (person who is very old): geriatric, oldster, senior citizen; see also Thesaurus:old person
• (person who lived in ancient times): antique
• (predecessor): antecessor, forerunner; see also Thesaurus:predecessor

Etymology 2

Corruption of ensign.

Noun

ancient (plural ancients)

1. (heraldry, archaic) A flag, banner, standard or ensign.
   • 1719, Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe

     I got all things ready as he had directed, and waited the next morning with the boat washed clean, her ancient and pendants out, and everything to accommodate his guests..

2. (obsolete, rare) the bearer of a flag; ensign

References

• The Manual of Heraldry, Fifth Edition, by Anonymous, London, 1862, online at [2]
• ancient in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• ancient in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• ancient at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• cantine, catenin, enactin

English

Etymology

From Middle English used, equivalent to use +? -ed.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ju?zd/
• (past of use): enPR: yo?ozd, IPA^(key): /ju?zd/
• (auxiliary verb): IPA^(key): /ju?zd/, /ju?st/
• Rhymes: -u?st

Verb

used

1. simple past tense and past participle of use
   • 1948, Carey McWilliams, North from Mexico / The Spanish-Speaking People of The United States, J. B. Lippincott Company, page 75

     In 1866 Colonel J. F. Meline noted that the rebozo had almost disappeared in Santa Fe and that hoop skirts, on sale in the stores, were being widely used.

   You used me!

2. (intransitive, as an auxiliary verb, now only in past tense) to perform habitually; to be accustomed [to doing something]

   He used to live here, but moved away last year.

Adjective

used (comparative more used, superlative most used)

1. That is or has or have been used.

2. That has or have previously been owned by someone else.

3. Familiar through use; usual; accustomed.
   • 1965, Bob Dylan, "Like a Rolling Stone"

     Nobody's ever taught you how to live out on the street and now you're gonna have to get used to it.

Synonyms

• (having been used):
• (previously owned by someone else): pre-owned, second-hand

Antonyms

• (having been used): unused
• (previously owned by someone else): new

Hyponyms

Derived terms

• usedness

Translations

See also

• used to

Anagrams

• Dues, desu, dues, duse, sued