old-timers
|old-tim-ers|
🇺🇸
/ˈoʊldˌtaɪmərz/
🇬🇧
/ˈəʊldˌtaɪməz/
(old-timer)
experienced person
Etymology
'old-timer' originates from English, a compound of 'old' + 'time' with the agentive suffix '-er', used to mean a person associated with an earlier time or someone long established.
'old-timer' developed from phrases like 'old time' (describing earlier times) and the agentive formation 'time' + '-er' to refer to a person; it came into use in informal English in the 19th century and stabilized as 'old-timer' for an experienced or long-standing person.
Initially it referred to someone from an earlier period or era ('of old times'), but over time it evolved to mean a person who has been in a place or role for a long time or an older person in general.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
informal: people who have been in a place, job, or organization for a long time; long-standing members or veterans.
The old-timers at the factory remember how things were done before automation.
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Noun 2
informal: older people; persons of advanced age.
Many of the old-timers in the neighborhood gather at the park each morning.
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Noun 3
people who have lived in a place since an earlier period or who remember earlier times (often used to contrast with recent arrivals).
The old-timers in the town can tell you stories about the main street before it was redeveloped.
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Last updated: 2025/12/12 18:48