auld lang syne
old times, especially times fondly remembered.
old or long friendship.
Origin of auld lang syne
1Words Nearby auld lang syne
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use auld lang syne in a sentence
auld lang syne” is Scottish-Gaelic for “old long since,” or, more idiomatically, “days gone by” or “time long past.
The Most Confusing Christmas Music Lyrics Explained (VIDEO) | Kevin Fallon | December 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTTake this verse by famous Scottish poet Robert Burns in his famous Scottish poem “auld lang syne.”
Up to a Point: A Free Scotland Would Be a Hilarious Disaster | P. J. O’Rourke | September 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWhen she stands by the bedside of a dying Victor McLaglen and sings “auld lang syne,” it is an occasion for real tears.
Shirley Temple Survived Being the Biggest Child Star of All Time With Wit and Grace | Malcolm Jones | February 11, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTNew Years means Champagne, “auld lang syne,” and good college football.
But it was a time for everybody to join hands as we did on formerly Air Force One and sing "auld lang syne."
I'm thinking—I'll just come—and cuik till ye a wee—for auld lang syne—thretty schelln the day—an' ye'll buy the flesh o' me.
It Is Never Too Late to Mend | Charles ReadeAs the ship began to move a band on the shade-deck struck up "auld lang syne," and immediately the floodgates were unlocked.
The Relief of Mafeking | Filson YoungThen auld lang syne was sung, and the men of various units played to their billets by their pipers.
The History of the 51st (Highland) Division 1914-1918 | Frederick William BewsherOld affections sprang up anew between my friend and myself as we talked of auld lang syne.
Recollections of a Long Life | John StoughtonI took a ramble outside the old city, and called on young friends; and so caught glimpses touching borders of auld lang syne.
Recollections of a Long Life | John Stoughton
British Dictionary definitions for auld lang syne
/ (ˈɔːld læŋ ˈsəɪn, ˈsaɪn, ˈzaɪn) /
old times; times past, esp those remembered with affection or nostalgia
Origin of auld lang syne
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for “Auld Lang Syne”
[ (awld lang zeyen, seyen) ]
A traditional Scottish song, customarily sung on New Year's Eve; the title means “Time Long Past.” The words, passed down orally, were recorded by the eighteenth-century poet Robert Burns. The song begins:
Should auld [old] acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to min'?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne!
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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