THE FIRST WORD

Methuselah

PRONUNCIATION:

(meh-THOO-zuh-luh) 

MEANING:

noun:
1. An extremely old person.
2. An oversized wine bottle holding approximately six liters.

ETYMOLOGY:

After the biblical figure Methuselah, who is said to have lived 969 years. Earliest documented use: 1390.

USAGE:

"The risk that an individual turns out to be a Methuselah now lies with the insurer."
Moneyed Men in Institutions; The Economist (London, UK); Nov 4, 1999.