adj Common

OL

OL (adj) means informal spelling of "old", used to imitate casual speech. Example: “Good ol' days, he always called them.”

adj

Informal spelling of "old", used to imitate casual speech.

"Good ol' days, he always called them."

noun

In electronics, an open line — a break in a circuit with no continuity.

"The multimeter read OL, showing the wire had an open line."

How to use OL

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither a casual, spoken-style shortening of "old" (as in "good ol' days"), or an abbreviation used in electrical testing.

When to use it

The "old" sense is informal/dialectal spelling, common in folksy or nostalgic phrases.

Word forms

OLs plural

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Good _____' days, he always called them.

Etymology

From obsolete German Ol- (in Ol-Verbindungen and Olgruppen, coined by Alfred Werner in 1907), from -ol (“-ol”).

Synonyms

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open circuit

Frequently asked questions

What does “OL” mean?

The word “OL” means informal spelling of "old", used to imitate casual speech. In plain terms, either a casual, spoken-style shortening of "old" (as in "good ol' days"), or an abbreviation used in electrical testing.

How do you use “OL” in a sentence?

Here is “OL” used in a sentence: “Good ol' days, he always called them.”

What part of speech is “OL”?

Depending on how it is used, “OL” can be an adjective and a noun.

Is “OL” a common word?

“OL” is a fairly common word in modern English.

How many meanings does “OL” have?

“OL” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: informal spelling of "old", used to imitate casual speech.

Is it spelled "ol'" or "ole"?

Both spellings represent the informal pronunciation of "old" in casual speech, as in "good ol' boy" or "good ole boy." The apostrophe form ol' explicitly marks the dropped letter and is often preferred in edited writing, while ole tends to appear in fixed or folksy spellings.

Why does "ol'" have an apostrophe?

The apostrophe shows that part of the word "old" has been dropped to imitate casual speech, where the final d is not pronounced. Writers use ol' to give dialogue or narration a relaxed, folksy tone, as in "the same ol' story."

Should you write "ol'" in formal writing?

No. Ol' is an informal spelling used to imitate casual speech, so it belongs in dialogue, song titles, and relaxed prose rather than formal documents. In formal writing, use the standard spelling "old."

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