A.old man, Il.1.33, etc.: pleon., “παλαιοὶ γέροντες” Ar. Ach.676; “ἄνους τε καὶ γ.” S.Ant.281, cf. Ar.Eq.1349; “ἀεὶ γὰρ ἡβᾷ τοῖς γέρουσιν εὖ μαθεῖν” A.Ag.584; “καλὸν δὲ καὶ γέροντα μανθάνειν σοφά” Id.Fr.396.
2. γέροντες, οἱ, Elders, Chiefs, “κίκλησκεν δὲ γέροντας ἀριστῆας Παναχαιῶν” Il.2.404 sq., cf. 9.574, Od.2.14; later, Senators, esp. at Sparta, Hdt.1.65, 6.57, Pl.Lg.692a, IG22.687, Arist.Pol. 1265b38 (sg. “γέροντι” IG5(1).1346, but usu. γερουσίας, q. v.); in other states, as at Elis, Arist.Pol.1306a17, cf. 1272a7, OGI479.11 (Dorylaeum).
II. as Adj., old, “γέρον σάκος” Od.22.184; “γ. γράμμα” A.Fr. 331; more freq. in masc., “γ. πατήρ” Il.1.358, Od.18.53; “ἀνὴρ γ.” Thgn. 1351; “γ. χαλκός” Simon.144; “γ. λόγος” A.Ag.750 (lyr.); “ἵππος” S.El. 25; “πόνος” Id.OC1258 (codd. but πίνος Scaliger, edd.); “οἶνος” Alex. 167.5, cf. Eub.124; πέπλος, λέμβος, Theoc.7.17, 21.12: rarely in Prose, “οἱ γέροντες τῶν ἰχθύων” Arist.HA607b28; of stags, ib.611b3; Ἀντίγονος ὁ γ. Antigonus the Elder, Plu.Pel.2: neut. pl., γέροντα βουλεύεις (for ἀρχαῖα) S.Fr.794.
III. part of the spinning-wheel, Pherecr.114. (Skt. járant- 'old', járati 'render infirm'; cf. γέρας.)