hoary

• Adjectif désignant ce qui est blanchi ou grisonnant par l'âge, ou ce qui est très ancien et d'un autre temps.

An old-fashioned adjective meaning gray or white with age, or very old and ancient.

1. Grey or white with ageC2formal

   Having grey or white hair due to old age.

   blanchi par l'âge

   • The hoary old man sat quietly by the fire.
   • His hoary beard gave him a wise appearance.
   • The poet described the hoary head of the ancient sage.

   Synonymesfrostygraygreygrizzledhoarsilversilverysnowywhite

   Antonymesjuvenileyoung

2. Ancient or very oldC2formal

   Extremely old; dating from a distant past.

   très ancien, vénérable

   • These hoary ruins date back thousands of years.
   • The hoary traditions of the tribe are still practiced today.
   • He told a tale of hoary antiquity.

   Synonymesage-oldagedancientantiquearchaicimmemorialoldtimewornvenerable

   Antonymesfreshmodernnewrecentyoung

3. Covered with fine hairsC2formalscientific

   Covered with fine, whitish hairs or down, used especially in botany and zoology.

   cotonneux, duveteux

   • The hoary leaves of the plant felt soft to the touch.
   • The botanist identified the hoary stem of the alpine flower.
   • Certain hoary caterpillars are covered in fine white hairs.

   Synonymescanescent