Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

long in the tooth

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.07 in modern English

Syllables: long in the -tooth
IPA

21

Scrabble Score

14

Letters

2

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Old; aged.

Example Sentences

"His cousin was now of more than middle age. . . . She was lean, and yellow, and long in the tooth."
"So as Microsoft began its 30th year last month, investors wondered whether it's a little long in the tooth."
"There were four relatively-fast, modern cruisers, the Oleg, Aurora, Zhemchug, and Izumrud... aaand the Dmitrii Donskoi, which was twenty-one years old and getting a bit long in the tooth."
"For those who are interested, Deaton (1992) remains the best (and most readable) single introduction to the empirics of the canonical permanent income model, though it's now a bit long in the tooth."

Etymology

Possibly from the practice of examining the length of horses’ teeth when estimating their ages: an old horse has long, rectangular incisors, and their occlusion angle is steep. Compare don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

Phrases

don't look a gift horse in the mouth make old bones

Frequently Paired Words

don't look a gift horse in the mouth make old bones

Synonyms

on in years over the hill wizened

Questions

What does long in the tooth mean?: Old; aged.
Where does long in the tooth come from?: Possibly from the practice of examining the length of horses’ teeth when estimating their ages: an old horse has long, rectangular incisors, and their occlusion angle is steep. Compare don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

How to pronounce long in the tooth

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