• Ago

    Pronunciation

    • enPR: É™-gō', IPA: /əˈɡəʊ/
    • Rhymes: -əʊ

    Alternative forms

    Origin

    From Middle English ago, agon ("passed"), past participle of agon ("to depart, escape, pass"), from Old English āgān ("to go away, pass away, go forth, come to pass"), from Proto-Germanic *uz- ("out"), *gāną ("to go"), equivalent to - + gone. Cognate with German ergehen ("to come to pass, fare, go forth"). Compare also Old Saxon āgangan ("to go or pass by"), Gothic 𐌿𐍃𐌲𐌰𐌲𐌲𐌰𐌽 (usgaggan, "to go forth").

    Full definition of ago

    Adjective

    ago

    1. (archaic or dialectal) Gone; gone by; gone away; passed; passed away.in days ago/in days agone
    2. (archaic or dialectal) Nearly gone; dead (used in Devonshire at the turn of the )''

    Usage notes

    Usually follows the noun.

    Adverb

    ago

    1. In the past.
      • 2013-08-10, Damned if you don’t, Two years ago a pair of scientists sparked fears of a devastating virus. They separately found ways to make a strain of bird flu called H5N1 more contagious. Critics fretted that terrorists might use this knowledge to cook up a biological weapon. American officials ordered that the papers be redacted. Further research was put on hold. But after much debate, the papers were published in full last year.
    2. I got married ten years ago.   The last slice of cake was gone long ago.

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