hoary

comparative hoarier · superlative hoariest

1. White, whitish, or greyish-white.

   As hoary frost with spangles doth attire, The mossy braunches of an oke halfe ded,

   1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto X”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, , stanzas 426–427

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   But hoary Winter, unadorn'd and bare, Dwells in the dire Retreat, and freezes there.

   1718 [c. 28–103 CE], Joseph Addison, “Bolonia, Modena, Parma, Turin, &c.”, in Remarks on Several Parts of Italy, translation of Punica, book 3 by Silius Italicus

   Synonyms: albescent, griseous, whity, gray / grey, grayey / greyey, grayish / greyish, griseous, grisescent

2. White or grey with age.

   The old man bowed his hoary head in acquiescence.

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   And ever and anon a silent tear Stole down, and trickled from his hoary beard.

   1681, John Dryden, The Spanish Fryar: Or, the Double Discovery. […], London: […] Richard Tonson and Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, (please specify the page number)

   And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn, Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne.

   1787, John Rippon, How Firm a Foundation, archived from the original on 11 Mar 2009

   My first thought was, he lied in every word, That hoary cripple, with malicious eye Askance to watch the working of his lie On mine […]

   1855, Robert Browning, “Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came”, stanza 1

   Synonyms: grey-haired, grizzled, grizzly, silver-haired, white-haired, elder, elderly, geriatric

3. biologyOf a pale silvery grey.
4. biologyCovered with short, dense, greyish white hairs.

   Synonyms: canescent

5. figurativelyOld or old-fashioned; trite.

   Nevertheless, the hoary capitalist principle of innovation and competition leading to consolidation and monopoly still operated.

   2022, Gary Gerstle, chapter 5, in The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal Order […] , New York: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, Part II. The Neoliberal Order, 1970–2020

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   It was, however, most interesting work, and the moulders themselves were a decent crowd, never tired of making jokes about themselves such as the hoary one that moulders did not live long, which however ran counter to the other one that no germs could live in a foundry—the atmosphere was too foul.

   1944 November and December, A Former Pupil, “Some Memories of Crewe Works—II”, in Railway Magazine, page 342

   In its God-like prime, The Simpsons attacked well-worn satirical fodder from unexpected angles, finding fresh laughs in the hoariest of subjects.

   2012 June 3, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “Mr. Plow” (season 4, episode 9; originally aired 11/19/1992)”, in AV Club, archived from the original on 26 Oct 2012

   Synonyms: antediluvian, superseded, clichéd, played out, anachronistic, antediluvial, antediluvian, antiquated

6. obsoleteRemote in time past.

   Naturally, there are complications: some literatures are linguistically IE but geographically Near Eastern, and it is not always possible to tell a hoary theme of PIE antiquity from a more recent areal development.

   2025 December 12, Tom Hercules Davies, “Horses, Wheels, Languages: Greek, Mesopotamian and Indic Epic on the Eurasian Steppe”, in The Classical Quarterly, volume 75, number 1, page 7

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   The probability of these flattering fictions could no longer be examined, when the hoary antiquity of such traditions had gained them veneration. An adventure of ancient date was in blind after-ages too readily received as truth.

   1805 [1758], Samuel Hull?, transl. Wilcocke, chapter 5, in An Essay on National Pride, Albion Press, translation of Vom Nationalstolz by Johann Georg Ritter von Zimmermann, →OCLC, page 40

   Plant and animal species of hoary antiquity or at an evolutionary dead end seem similarly outdated. Remnant exemplars of the coelacanth, the tuatara, the Joshua tree are anachronisms more at home in previous than present environments.

   1985, David Lowenthal, The Past is a Foreign Country, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 242

   Synonyms: bygone, foregone, backward, bygone, foregone, forepassed, forepast, historic

7. obsoleteMoldy; mossy; musty.

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   By chance there was at that time brought out of the citie into the campe verie course, hoarie, moulded bread, which some of the souldiours hauing bought, and thrusting it vpon the points of their speares, shewed it vnto their fellowes in great choller, railing against king Ferdinand, which in his owne kingdome in the beginning of the warre had made no better prouision, but with such corrupt and pestilent bread to feed them being strangers, which were onely for his defence and quarrell to aduenture their liues.

   1603, Richard Knolles, “The Life of Solyman, the Fourth and Most Magnificent Emperour of the Turkes”, in Generall Historie of the Turkes, page 624