Methuselah

[ muh-thoo-zuh-luh, -thooz-luh ]

noun

1. (in the Bible) a patriarch who is said to have lived 969 years.
2. an extremely old man.
3. a very large wine bottle holding 6½ quarts (6 liters).

Methuselah

¹

/ mɪˈθjuːzələ /

noun

1. Old Testament a patriarch supposed to have lived 969 years (Genesis 5:21–27) who has come to be regarded as epitomizing longevity Douay spellingMathusala

Methuselah

²

/ məˈθjuːzələ /

noun

1. a wine bottle holding the equivalent of eight normal bottles

Methuselah

1. The oldest man mentioned in the Bible (see also Bible ); according to the Book of Genesis , he was the grandfather of Noah and lived to be 969 years old.

Notes

Figuratively, a “Methuselah” is an extremely old person.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Methuselah¹

Ultimately from Hebrew Mĕthūshelaḥ; of uncertain meaning, perhaps “man of (the deity) Shela”

Example Sentences

Twenty years have passed since I first met Aubrey de Grey, the man with the Methuselah beard.

From MIT Technology Review

Lloyd was in his mid-40s when he first played Doc Brown, who appears to be the age of Methuselah.

From Washington Post

And Anthony Hopkins as Noah's hammy 969-year-old grandpa, Methuselah, who was apparently an incorrigible berry addict.

From The Daily Beast

If Joey got a year in the pokey, then I hope Bernard L. Madoff lives as long as Methuselah and spends all 969 years behind bars.

From The Daily Beast

They came back in the old creaking buckboard with Methuselah the old, old white horse, and the Toyman.

From Project Gutenberg

Now, I should admire to know how long that old codger's going to live; he must be as old as Methuselah's cat by this time.

From Project Gutenberg

The vice-president of the Methuselah, the one who attends to all their real estate, is Mr. Carkendale.

From Project Gutenberg

I shall never marry anybody, if I live to be as old as—as you, or Methuselah, or anybody.

From Project Gutenberg

Then came the final redactor, who interpolated the groundwork and the Methuselah sections, adding two others from his own pen.

From Project Gutenberg