Greybearded

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Wearing a beard that has turned grey or white with age ; characterized by wisdom or long experience gained over many years
2. Possessing a greyish or whitened facial hair ; showing the maturity and knowledge that comes from advancing years or extensive practice
3. Having grey or silvered whiskers ; marked by the seasoned judgment and authority associated with age and long familiarity with one's field

Etymology: "Grey" comes from Old English "græg," a word for a dull, silvery colour, and "beard" from Old English "beard." Joining them with the suffix "-ed," which turns a noun into an adjective meaning "having a beard," produces a plain descriptive compound. Its meaning follows the link between grey hair and old age, so a grey-bearded man is an old man, often a wise or venerable one. The noun form "greybeard" also had a more concrete life. It was used for a stoneware drinking jug decorated with a bearded face on its neck, and such jugs were common in English households. The image was a jolly, whiskered old man, so the vessel was named after the figure it depicted. The adjective stayed closer to its literal sense, describing a beard that has gone grey.

Synonyms: grizzled, hoary

Antonyms: beardless, clean-shaven