noun
- a person of very great age; someone who lives to an extremely old age
- a wine bottle of very large capacity, typically holding about 6 liters (equivalent to 8 standard bottles)
Usage: often capitalized when referring to the biblical figure; used figuratively or humorously to describe any very old person
Usage: wine industry term; capitalized when referring to the specific bottle size
Examples
- My great-grandfather is a real methuselah—he just turned 103 last month.
- The wine collector proudly displayed a methuselah of 1982 Bordeaux in his cellar.
- In the Bible, Methuselah was said to have lived 969 years.
- She joked that her old car was a methuselah, still running after 30 years.
- The restaurant served champagne from a methuselah at the anniversary celebration.
- He became something of a methuselah in the industry, working well into his nineties.