Methuselah

[ muh-thoo-zuh-luh, -thooz-luh ]

noun

1. (in the Bible) a patriarch who is said to have lived 969 years.
2. an extremely old man.
3. a very large wine bottle holding 6½ quarts (6 liters).

Methuselah

¹

/ mɪˈθjuːzələ /

noun

1. Old Testament a patriarch supposed to have lived 969 years (Genesis 5:21–27) who has come to be regarded as epitomizing longevity Douay spellingMathusala

Methuselah

²

/ məˈθjuːzələ /

noun

1. a wine bottle holding the equivalent of eight normal bottles

Methuselah

1. The oldest man mentioned in the Bible (see also Bible ); according to the Book of Genesis , he was the grandfather of Noah and lived to be 969 years old.

Notes

Figuratively, a “Methuselah” is an extremely old person.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Methuselah¹

Ultimately from Hebrew Mĕthūshelaḥ; of uncertain meaning, perhaps “man of (the deity) Shela”

Example Sentences

In one such project, a student set out to determine the average lifespan of bella moth adults and inadvertently stumbled across the Methuselah of the moth world.

From Science Daily

Worries about the advanced age of leading politicians are as old as Methuselah.

From Los Angeles Times

The oldest known star is called the Methuselah star.

From Space Scoop

Officially, the oldest tree on Earth is Methuselah, a bristlecone pine of the species Pinus longaeva in the Inyo National Forest of California that is at least 4,789 years old, according to the U.S.

From Scientific American

Another company with First Boston branding is First Boston Advisors, an investment banking advisory business previously branded as Methuselah Advisors.

From Reuters