old-timer

noun

old-tim·​er ˈōl(d)-ˈtī-mər How to pronounce old-timer (audio)
-ˌtī-mər
Synonyms of old-timernext
1
a
: veteran
b
: oldster
2
: something that is old-fashioned : antique

Synonyms of old-timer

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of old-timer in a Sentence

a group of old-timers playing shuffleboard old-timers in the fishing industry couldn't remember a time when catches were so low
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Bob had to learn the ropes from old-timers and many magazine articles and books. — Bob Rocchetta As Told To Al Ristori, Outdoor Life, 28 Oct. 2026 So, the context of this game is what the old-timers used to colloquially call a battle of piss ants. — Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026 There are several different subtypes of New York City Restaurant, from the humble old-timers (Katz’s, Nom Wah) to the temples of filthy lucre (Bemelmans, Rao’s). — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026 While the boys bicker over stickball rules, old-timers Keith Hernandez, Willie Randolph and Tom Seaver argue from a stoop. — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for old-timer

Word History

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of old-timer was in 1856

Rhymes for old-timer

See All Rhymes for old-timer

Browse Nearby Words

old-time
old-timer
old-timey
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Old-timer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/old-timer. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

old-timer

noun
old-tim·​er
ōl(d)-ˈtī-mər
1
a
: veteran sense 1
b
: oldster
2
: something old-fashioned
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of Pyrrhic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All