The state, condition, or time period of being old or elderly; old age considered as a distinct stage of life.
Compound of 'elder' (from Old English 'eldra' meaning old) and 'hood' (from Old English 'had' meaning state or condition). Similar to 'childhood' and 'adulthood,' it names a life stage.
Life-stage words ending in '-hood' (childhood, adulthood, elderhood) are ancient and universal across cultures because humans instinctively organize life into chapters—these words are like the chapters themselves!
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