ages
n.-
1 a long time (n.) A2 Elementary Informala very long time.
a long duration of time; frequently used hyperbolically in spoken English.
ExampleI haven't seen my cousin for ages because she moved to Australia.
ExampleIt took ages for the waiter to bring our drinks, even though the restaurant was nearly empty at the time.
UsageUsually follows the preposition 'for' or 'in'.
PitfallI haven't seen him for age.I haven't seen him for ages.In the sense of 'a long time', the word is almost always used in the plural form 'ages'.
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2 how old people are (n.) A2 Elementarythe number of years that different people have lived.
the plural form of age, referring to the lengths of time individuals have existed.
ExampleThe children in the class are all different ages.
ExampleThe survey collected data from participants of all ages to ensure the results represented the entire community.
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3 historical periods (n.) B1 Intermediatelong periods of history, like the Middle Ages.
distinct periods of history characterized by specific features or developments.
ExampleWe studied the different ages of human history in school.
ExampleThe museum features artifacts from the Bronze and Iron Ages, showing how tools evolved over thousands of years.