graybeards
Venerable old men
Graybeards are old men, especially those viewed as wise or venerable elders: The graybeards on the committee favored caution.
The term can be respectful, suggesting accumulated wisdom, or dismissive, implying outdated thinking: The graybeards in management don't understand the new technology.
In some contexts, graybeard refers specifically to senior experts or veterans in a field.
Male ancestral leaders
- ancientsPeople of antiquity
- eldersSenior community members
- forebearsAncestral family members
- ancestorsThose from whom one descends
oldsters · sages · wise men · tribal elders · village elders · clan chiefs · grandfathers · old-timers
Former armed forces members
- mastersThose with dominion
- authoritiesThose holding official control
- doyensSenior figures in field
- gurusVenerated teachers or experts
mentors · specialists · old hands · founding members · pioneers · trailblazers · luminaries · institutional memory
Facial sensory hairs
- wizenedShrunken from age
- wrinkledHaving surface folds
- stoopedBent body forward
- weathered facesVisages marked by exposure
Penetrating mental acuity
- experiencePractical knowledge from life
- knowledgeUnderstood facts and skills
- insightDeep perceptive understanding
- counselExpert guidance offered
guidance · prudence · judgment · foresight · discernment · understanding · expertise · learned
Bell Labs OS
- mainframeLarge centralized computer system
- legacy systemsOutdated but essential technology
- COBOLElderly business-oriented programming language
- assemblyConstructing from components
sysadmins · early adopters · programmers · developers · Linux · hackers · geeks
patriarchs
Male ancestral leaders
ancestors · oldsters · sages · wise men · tribal elders · village elders · clan chiefs · grandfathers · old-timers · white-haired
veterans
Former armed forces members
- mastersThose with dominion
- authoritiesThose holding official control
- doyensSenior figures in field
gurus · mentors · specialists · old hands · founding members · pioneers · trailblazers · luminaries · institutional memory · emeritus
whiskers
Facial sensory hairs
weathered faces · bushy eyebrows · distinguished · dignified · time-worn
sagacity
Penetrating mental acuity
- experiencePractical knowledge from life
- knowledgeUnderstood facts and skills
- insightDeep perceptive understanding
counsel · guidance · prudence · judgment · foresight · discernment · understanding · expertise · learned · scholarly
UNIX
Bell Labs OS
- mainframeLarge centralized computer system
- legacy systemsOutdated but essential technology
- COBOLElderly business-oriented programming language
assembly · sysadmins · early adopters · programmers · developers · Linux · hackers · geeks
graybeardsyoungsters
People not yet adult
youths · young people · children · kids · teenagers
graybeardsnovices
Inexperienced newcomers
beginners · newcomers · rookies · neophytes · greenhorns
graybeardsnew arrivals
young Turks · up-and-comers · rising stars · new blood · juniors