antique

[an-teek] /ænˈtik/
adjective
1.
of or belonging to the past; not modern.
2.
dating from a period long ago:
antique furniture.
3.
noting or pertaining to automobiles approximately 25 years old or more.
4.
in the tradition, fashion, or style of an earlier period; old-fashioned; antiquated.
5.
of or belonging to the ancient Greeks and Romans.
6.
(of paper) neither calendered nor coated and having a rough surface.
7.
ancient.
noun
8.
any work of art, piece of furniture, decorative object, or the like, created or produced in a former period, or, according to U.S. customs laws, 100 years before date of purchase.
9.
the antique style, usually Greek or Roman, especially in art.
10.
Printing. a style of type.
verb (used with object), antiqued, antiquing.
11.
to make or finish (something, especially furniture) in imitation of antiques.
12.
to emboss (an image, design, letters, or the like) on paper or fabric.
verb (used without object), antiqued, antiquing.
13.
to shop for or collect antiques:
She spent her vacation antiquing in Boston.
Origin
1520-30; earlier also anticke (< Middle French antique) < Latin antīiquus, antīicus in front, existing earler, ancient; compare antic posticum
Related forms
antiquely, adverb
antiqueness, noun
pseudoantique, adjective, noun
quasi-antique, adjective
subantique, adjective
subantiquely, adverb
subantiqueness, noun
Can be confused
antic, antique.
Synonyms
1. bygone, archaic. 2. old, obsolete, obsolescent. See ancient1 .
Examples from the web for antique
  • Purely ornamental as they may seem now, decorative antique boxes hold the key to the social customs of an older culture.
  • His eyes twinkle as he praises the properties of witch-hazel and displays a set of antique razors.
  • As this cluster of gerberas shows, the technique results in colors and textures that exude an antique romance.
  • Contact a museum or reputable antique dealer about it.
  • Tips and techniques from a design pro for scoring the best vintage and antique shopping deals.
  • The coloring gives it a wonderful antique block-print quality.
  • The market for antique botanical prints is currently quite good.
  • Inside are an antique fire engine and an interesting exhibit about the desegregation of the fire department.
  • antique trolley cars take you on a scenic ride through woods and wetlands.
  • Update an antique hutch or built-in buffet with a fresh coat of paint and a pretty fabric skirt.
British Dictionary definitions for antique

antique

/ænˈtiːk/
noun
1.
  1. a decorative object, piece of furniture, or other work of art created in an earlier period, that is collected and valued for its beauty, workmanship, and age
  2. (as modifier): an antique shop
2.
any object made in an earlier period
3.
the antique, the style of ancient art, esp Greek or Roman art, or an example of it
adjective
4.
made in or in the style of an earlier period
5.
of or belonging to the distant past, esp of or in the style of ancient Greece or Rome
6.
(informal) old-fashioned; out-of-date
7.
(archaic) aged or venerable
8.
(of paper) not calendered or coated; having a rough surface
verb
9.
(transitive) to give an antique appearance to
Word Origin
C16: from Latin antīquus ancient, from ante before
Word Origin and History for antique
adj.

1530s, "aged, venerable," from Middle French antique "old" (14c.), from Latin antiquus (later anticus) "ancient, former, of olden times; old, long in existence, aged; venerable; old-fashioned," from PIE *anti in sense of "before" (see ante) + *okw- "appearance" (see eye (n.)). Originally pronounced in English like its parallel antic, but French pronunciation and spelling were adopted from c.1700.

n.

"an old and collectible thing," 1771, from antique (adj.).

v.

"to give an antique appearance to," 1896, from antique (adj.). Related: Antiqued; antiquing.

Encyclopedia Article for antique

a relic or old object having aesthetic, historic, and financial value. Formerly, it referred only to the remains of the classical cultures of Greece and Rome; gradually, decorative arts-courtly, bourgeois, and peasant-of all past eras and places came to be considered antique.

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