old-timer

American  

[ohld-tahy-mer] / ˈoʊldˈtaɪ mər /

noun

Informal.

1. a person whose residence, membership, or experience began long ago and has been continuing for a considerable length of time; veteran.

2. an old person.

3. an old-fashioned person or thing.

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old-timer British  

noun

1. a person who has been in a certain place, occupation, etc, for a long time

2. an old man

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Etymology

Origin of old-timer

First recorded in 1855–60; old-time + -er ¹

Explanation

An old-timer is someone who's been around a long time and has experienced a lot. When you get a new job, the old-timers there are the ones who can show you how things are done. Old-timers are veterans — they're been through it all. The old-timers in a busy office might reminisce about the days before computers, when everyone used typewriters and Rolodexes, and the old-timers in your neighborhood can tell you how quiet it used to be. You can also use this noun to mean "elderly person," like your grandpa and his buddies: "There are so many old-timers at the gym lately, I can never find a free treadmill."

Example Sentences

Luis Angel Firpo in the old-timer category and Theresa Kibby in the women’s trailblazer category were the other fighters in the class.

From Washington Times • Dec. 7, 2023

He may be an old-timer, at least when it comes to loving the professional football team here, but he’s a modern-day fan who knows how to tweet his frustration to get results.

From Washington Post • Nov. 6, 2022

Every old-timer who frequents the Junction has a story about Husky Deli, a West Seattle institution for nearly a century.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 20, 2022

“I’m an old-timer, and I find it hard to believe that anything can be so weak,” Cheng says.

From Science Magazine • Sep. 12, 2022

Other stories were passed down like legends from old-timer to newcomer.

From "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien