耋

Denotes extreme old age, specifically associated with the age of eighty or the decade 80–89. It is a high-register, literary term that typically signals a deliberate focus on biological longevity or a specific social milestone.

Functions as an adjective (e.g., describing a person as an octogenarian) or as a noun defining the stage of life itself.

Contrast with 老 (general old age). When used in the compound 耄耋, the specificity of the decade often collapses, and the term functions more generally as "extreme old age" or "the twilight years."

This glyph is part of a technical taxonomy of seniority that includes 耆 and 耄. The translator should determine if the author is pinpointing a specific age bracket (the eighties) or using the term as part of a couplet to describe a general state of fragility and veneration.