What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Age vs Big - What's the difference?

age | big |

As a proper noun age

is .

As a noun big is

a biological insulation garment; an air-tight, full-body suit intended to prevent the spread of contaminants.

age

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • The whole duration of a being, whether animal, vegetable, or other kind; lifetime.
  • (uncountable) That part of the duration of a being or a thing which is between its beginning and any given time; specifically the size of that part.
  • (uncountable) The latter part of life; an advanced period of life, eld; seniority; state of being old.
  • (countable) One of the stages of life; as, the age of infancy, of youth, etc.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-19, author=(Peter Wilby)
  • , volume=189, issue=6, page=30, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Finland spreads word on schools , passage=Imagine a country where children do nothing but play until they start compulsory schooling at age' seven. Then, without exception, they attend comprehensives until the ' age of 16. Charging school fees is illegal, and so is sorting pupils into ability groups by streaming or setting.}}
  • (uncountable) Mature age; especially, the time of life at which one attains full personal rights and capacities.
  • (countable) The time of life at which some particular power or capacity is understood to become vested.
  • (countable) A particular period of time in history, as distinguished from others.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-08-03, volume=408, issue=8847, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= Yesterday’s fuel , passage=The dawn of the oil age was fairly recent. Although the stuff was used to waterproof boats in the Middle East 6,000 years ago, extracting it in earnest began only in 1859 after an oil strike in Pennsylvania. The first barrels of crude fetched $18 (around $450 at today’s prices). It was used to make kerosene, the main fuel for artificial lighting after overfishing led to a shortage of whale blubber.}}
  • (countable) A great period in the history of the Earth.
  • (countable) A century; the period of one hundred years.
  • The people who live at a particular period.
  • (countable) A generation.
  • (countable, hyperbole) A long time.
  • Synonyms

    * (latter part of life) dotage, old age, eld

    Derived terms

    * act one's age * age before beauty * aged * ageism * age discrimination * age distribution * age group * ageist * ageless * age limit * agelong * Age of Aquarius * age of consent * Age of Enlightenment * age of majority * Age of Reason * age-old * age rating * age-reversal * ages * age spot * ageing, aging * all ages * atomic age/Atomic Age * bone age * Bronze Age * come of age/coming of age * coon's age * dark age/Dark Ages * day and age/in this day and age * drinking age * emotional age * for the ages * full age * golden age * heroic age * ice age * Industrial Age * Iron Age * jazz age * legal age * mental age * Middle Ages * New Age * new-age * nuclear age * of age * old-age * prehistoric age * school age * silver age * space age/space-age * Stone Age * teenage, teenager * under age/underage * voting age * youth-on-age

    Verb

  • To cause to grow old; to impart the characteristics of age to.
  • (figuratively) To postpone an action that would extinguish something, as a debt.
  • (accounting) To categorize by age.
  • To grow aged; to become old; to show marks of age.
  • * Holland
  • They live one hundred and thirty years, and never age for all that.
  • * Landor
  • I am aging ; that is, I have a whitish, or rather a light-coloured, hair here and there.
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=July-August, author= Stephen P. Lownie], [http://www.americanscientist.org/authors/detail/david-m-pelz David M. Pelz
  • , title= Stents to Prevent Stroke, magazine=(American Scientist) , passage=As we age , the major arteries of our bodies frequently become thickened with plaque, a fatty material with an oatmeal-like consistency that builds up along the inner lining of blood vessels. The reason plaque forms isn’t entirely known, but it seems to be related to high levels of cholesterol inducing an inflammatory response, which can also attract and trap more cellular debris over time.}}

    See also

    * *

    Statistics

    *

    big

    English

    Etymology 1

    From a northern (etyl) dialectal term (m), .

    Adjective

    (bigger)
  • Of great size, large.
  • :
  • *
  • *:The big houses, and there are a good many of them, lie for the most part in what may be called by courtesy the valleys. You catch a glimpse of them sometimes at a little distance from the [railway] line,, with their court of farm and church and clustered village, in dignified seclusion.
  • *{{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-06, volume=408, issue=8843, page=68, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= The rise of smart beta , passage=Investors face a quandary. Cash offers a return of virtually zero in many developed countries; government-bond yields may have risen in recent weeks but they are still unattractive. Equities have suffered two big bear markets since 2000 and are wobbling again. It is hardly surprising that pension funds, insurers and endowments are searching for new sources of return.}}
  • (lb) Thought to have undue influence.
  • :
  • Popular.
  • :
  • (lb) Adult.
  • :
  • *1931 , , Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer , Montgomery Ward (publisher), draft:
  • *:By midnight, however, the last light had fled / For even big people have then gone to bed[.]
  • (lb) Fat.
  • (lb) Important or significant.
  • :
  • *
  • *:"I was dragged up at the workhouse school till I was twelve. Then I ran away and sold papers in the streets, and anything else that I could pick up a few coppers by—except steal. I never did that. I always made up my mind I'd be a big man some day, and—I'm glad I didn't steal."
  • *{{quote-news, year=2011, date=October 29, author=Neil Johnston, work=BBC Sport
  • , title= Norwich 3-3 Blackburn , passage=It proved a big miss as Hoilett produced a sublime finish into the top corner of the net from 20 yards after evading a couple of challenges in first-half stoppage time.}}
  • Enthusiastic (about).
  • :
  • (lb) Mature, conscientious, principled.
  • :
  • :
  • (lb) Well-endowed, possessing large breasts in the case of a woman or a large penis in the case of a man.
  • :
  • Large with young; pregnant; swelling; ready to give birth or produce.
  • :
  • *(and other bibliographic details) (Joseph Addison) (1672–1719)
  • *:[Day] big with the fate of Cato and of Rome.
  • (lb)
  • :
  • Synonyms
    * (of a great size) ample, huge, large, sizeable, stoor, jumbo, massive * (adult) adult, fully grown, grown up * See also
    Antonyms
    * (of a great size) little, small, tiny, minuscule, miniature, minute * (adult) little, young
    Derived terms
    * Big Apple * big-ass * big baby * big band * Big Bang * big bath * big beat * Big Ben * Big Bertha * big blind * big bluestem * Big Board * big-boned * big box * big boy/big boys * big break * big brother * Big Brother * big bucks * big business * big C * big cat * big cheese * Big Crunch * Big D * big daddy * big deal * Big Dipper * Big Easy * big enchilada * big end * big fat/big-fat/big phat * big figure * big fish * big fly * Big Four * big game * biggie, no biggie * big girl's blouse * big government * big gun * big H/Big H * big hair * big hand * big head/big-head * big-headed * big-hearted * big house * big idea * big if * big iron * Big Island * big kid * big labor * big-league * big lick * big lie * big lug * big kahuna * Big Mac * big money * big mouth * Big Muddy * big name / big-name * bigness * big O * big O notation * big old/big ole * big one/the big one * big pharma * big picture * Big Q * big rig * Big Rip * big science * big screen * big shagbank * big shot * big shoulder * big six/the big six * Big Six * big sleep * big slick * Big Smoke * big spender * big spring * big stick * Big Sur * big talk * big tent * Big Three * big-ticket * big time/big-time/bigtime * big toe * big top/big-top * big tree * Big Uglies * big up * big wheel * big whoop * big wig/big-wig/bigwig * big-wigged * big wow * great big * hit it big * make it big * /Mr Big/Mister Big * the bigs * too big for one's boots * too big to fail

    Adverb

    (bigger)
  • In a loud manner.
  • In a boasting manner.
  • He's always talking big , but he never delivers.
  • In a large amount or to a large extent.
  • He won big betting on the croquet championship.
  • On a large scale, expansively
  • You've got to think big to succeed at Amalgamated Plumbing.
  • Hard.
  • He hit him big and the guy just crumpled.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An important or powerful person; a celebrity; a big name.
  • (as plural) The big leagues, big time.
  • *
  • Synonyms
    * (big leagues) major leagues

    Verb

    (up)
  • To praise or recommend
  • Etymology 2

    From (etyl) (m), (m), from (etyl) (m), . Cognate with (etyl) (m), (etyl) (m).

    Verb

  • to inhabit; occupy
  • to locate one's self
  • to build; erect; fashion
  • to dwell; have a dwelling
  • Etymology 3

    From (etyl) (m), from (etyl) .

    Alternative forms

    * (l) * (l), (l) (obsolete)

    Noun

    (-)
  • One or more kinds of barley, especially (six-rowed barley).
  • Statistics

    *