An"cient (&?;), a. [OE. auncien, F.
ancien, LL. antianus, fr. L. ante before. See Ante-
, pref.] 1. Old; that happened or existed
in former times, usually at a great distance of time; belonging to times
long past; specifically applied to the times before the fall of the Roman
empire; -- opposed to modern; as, ancient authors,
literature, history; ancient days.
Witness those ancient empires of the earth.
Milton.
Gildas Albanius . . . much ancienter than his
namesake surnamed the Wise.
Fuller.
2. Old; that has been of long duration; of long
standing; of great age; as, an ancient forest; an ancient
castle. "Our ancient bickerings." Shak.
Remove not the ancient landmarks, which thy fathers
have set.
Prov. xxii. 28.
An ancient man, strangely habited, asked for
quarters.
Scott.
3. Known for a long time, or from early times; --
opposed to recent or new; as, the ancient
continent.
A friend, perhaps, or an ancient acquaintance.
Barrow.
4. Dignified, like an aged man; magisterial;
venerable. [Archaic]
He wrought but some few hours of the day, and then would he
seem very grave and ancient.
Holland.
5. Experienced; versed. [Obs.]
Though [he] was the youngest brother, yet he was the most
ancient in the business of the realm.
Berners.
6. Former; sometime. [Obs.]
They mourned their ancient leader lost.
Pope.
Ancient demesne (Eng. Law), a tenure by
which all manors belonging to the crown, in the reign of William the
Conqueror, were held. The numbers, names, etc., of these were all entered
in a book called Domesday Book. -- Ancient
lights (Law), windows and other openings which have
been enjoined without molestation for more than twenty years. In England,
and in some of the United States, they acquire a prescriptive
right.
Syn. -- Old; primitive; pristine; antique; antiquated; old-
fashioned; obsolete. -- Ancient, Antiquated,
Obsolete, Antique, Antic, Old. --
Ancient is opposed to modern, and has antiquity; as, an
ancient family, ancient landmarks, ancient
institutions, systems of thought, etc. Antiquated describes that
which has gone out of use or fashion; as, antiquated furniture,
antiquated laws, rules, etc. Obsolete is commonly used,
instead of antiquated, in reference to language, customs, etc.; as,
an obsolete word or phrase, an obsolete expression.
Antique is applied, in present usage, either to that which has come
down from the ancients; as, an antique cameo, bust, etc. ; or to
that which is made to imitate some ancient work of art; as, an
antique temple. In the days of Shakespeare, antique was often
used for ancient; as, "an antique song," "an antique
Roman;" and hence, from singularity often attached to what is ancient, it
was used in the sense of grotesque; as, "an oak whose antique root
peeps out; " and hence came our present word antic, denoting
grotesque or ridiculous. We usually apply both ancient and
old to things subject to gradual decay. We say, an old man,
an ancient record; but never, the old stars, an old
river or mountain. In general, however, ancient is opposed to
modern, and old to new, fresh, or
recent. When we speak of a thing that existed formerly, which has
ceased to exist, we commonly use ancient; as, ancient
republics, ancient heroes; and not old republics, old
heroes. But when the thing which began or existed in former times is still
in existence, we use either ancient or old; as,
ancient statues or paintings, or old statues or paintings;
ancient authors, or old authors, meaning books.
An"cient, n. 1. pl.
Those who lived in former ages, as opposed to the
moderns.
2. An aged man; a patriarch. Hence: A governor; a
ruler; a person of influence.
The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients
of his people, and the princes thereof.
Isa. iii. 14.
3. A senior; an elder; a predecessor.
[Obs.]
Junius and Andronicus . . . in Christianity . . . were his
ancients.
Hooker.
4. pl. (Eng. Law) One of the senior
members of the Inns of Court or of Chancery.
Council of Ancients (French Hist.), one of
the two assemblies composing the legislative bodies in 1795.
Brande.
An"cient, n. [Corrupted from ensign.]
1. An ensign or flag. [Obs.]
More dishonorable ragged than an old-faced
ancient.
Shak.
2. The bearer of a flag; an ensign.
[Obs.]
This is Othello's ancient, as I take it.
Shak.
