dotage

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a period or state of old age marked by declining mental ability or judgment

   Even in his dotage, the scholar could recall long passages of poetry.

2. 2
   noun

   archaic: excessive fondness or foolish infatuation

   His dotage on the young courtier blinded him to obvious misconduct.

From Middle English dotage, formed from dote + -age. The verb dote meant both 'to be mentally weak from age' and 'to be foolishly fond,' which produced the noun's two historical senses.

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