archaic

archaic
1. noun /ɑɹˈkejɪk/
A general term for the prehistoric period intermediate between the earliest period (‘[ Paleo-Indian]’, ‘Paleo-American’, ‘American‐paleolithic’, &c.) of human presence in the Western Hemisphere, and the most recent prehistoric period (‘Woodland’, etc.).<! needs links to Wikipedia entries

[...] Archaic Stage [...] the stage of migratory hunting and gathering cultures continuing into environmental conditions approximately those of the present.

2. adjective /ɑɹˈkejɪk/
a) Of or characterized by antiquity; old-fashioned, quaint, antiquated.

A person familiar with the dialect of certain portions of Massachusetts will not fail to recognize, in ordinary discourse, many words now noted in English vocabularies as archaic, the greater part of which were in common use about the time of the King James translation of the Bible. Shakespeare stands less in need of a glossary to most New Englanders than to many a native of the Old Country.

b) No longer in ordinary use, though still used occasionally to give a sense of antiquity.

There is in the best archaic coin work [of the Greeks] ... a strength and a delicacy which are often wanting in the fully developed art of a later age.

See Also: archaeologist, archeologist, archaeology, archeology, paleo, Paleo-indian, Paleolithic, paleoethnobotany, horizon, stage, culture, archeobacteria

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  • Archaic — may refer to a period of time preceding a classical period :*List of archaeological periods **Archaic period in Greece **Archaic period in the Americas **Early Dynastic Period of Egypt *Archaic Homo sapiens, people who lived about 300,000 to… …   Wikipedia

  • archaic — [är kā′ik] adj. [Gr archaikos < archaios, old, ancient < archein, begin] 1. belonging to an earlier period; ancient 2. antiquated; old fashioned 3. that has ceased to be used except for special purposes, as in poetry, church ritual, etc.… …   English World dictionary

  • Archaic — Ar*cha ic, a. [Gr. archai:ko s old fashioned, fr. archai^os ancient.] Of or characterized by antiquity or archaism; antiquated; obsolescent. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • archaic — I adjective ancient, antediluvian, antiquated, extinct, fossilized, medieval, obsolescent, obsolete, old, old fashioned, old world, outdated, outmoded, passe, prehistoric, primitive, superannuated, time worn II index antique, obsolete, old …   Law dictionary

  • archaic — (adj.) 1810, from or by influence of Fr. archaique (1776), ultimately from Gk. arkhaikos old fashioned, from arkhaios ancient, from arkhe beginning (see ARCHON (Cf. archon)). Archaical is attested from 1799 …   Etymology dictionary

  • archaic — obsolete, antiquated, antique, *old, ancient, antediluvian, venerable Antonyms: up to date Contrasted words: fresh, novel, *new, newfangled, new fashioned, modern, modernistic: fashionable, modish (see STYLISH) …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • archaic — [adj] very old ancient, antiquated, antique, bygone, obsolete, olden, old fashioned, outmoded, out of date, passé, primitive, superannuated; concepts 578,797 Ant. current, modern, new, present, young …   New thesaurus

  • archaic — ► ADJECTIVE 1) belonging to former or ancient times. 2) old or in an old fashioned style. DERIVATIVES archaically adverb. ORIGIN Greek arkhaios ancient …   English terms dictionary

  • archaic — archaically, adv. /ahr kay ik/, adj. 1. marked by the characteristics of an earlier period; antiquated: an archaic manner; an archaic notion. 2. (of a linguistic form) commonly used in an earlier time but rare in present day usage except to… …   Universalium

  • archaic — [[t]ɑː(r)ke͟ɪɪk[/t]] ADJ GRADED: usu ADJ n Archaic means extremely old or extremely old fashioned. ...archaic laws that are very seldom used... Archaic practices such as these are usually put forward by people of limited outlook. ...archaic… …   English dictionary

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