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Father Time

American  

noun

  1. the personification of time as an old man, usually in a white robe, having a white beard, and carrying a scythe.


Father Time British  

noun

  1. time personified as an old bearded man, usually carrying a scythe and an hourglass

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

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But the seventh-seeded Serb has a way of defying Father Time and he has had two days to recover on a surface where points are shorter and generally less taxing on the body.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 9, 2026

“But Mother Nature and Father Time remain undefeated, and the ‘deterioration bill’ is now coming due.”

From MarketWatch Jul. 7, 2026

The clearest sign Father Time is closing in on Djokovic?

From BBC May 29, 2026

Unless James can juke Father Time and pull off another odds-defying dead lift for the ages.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 17, 2026

An uncomfortable looking Father Time patted Game Time on the shoulder.

From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles

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