ELDER

elder, older, sr.

(adjective) used of the older of two persons of the same name especially used to distinguish a father from his son; “Bill Adams, Sr.”

elder, senior

(noun) a person who is older than you are

elder

(noun) any of various church officers

elder, elderberry bush

(noun) any of numerous shrubs or small trees of temperate and subtropical northern hemisphere having white flowers and berrylike fruit

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Proper noun

Elder

A surname.

Anagrams

• Edler

Etymology 1

Adjective

elder

comparative degree of old: older, greater than another in age or seniority.

Usage notes

• The normal comparative of old is older. The irregular form elder is sometimes used with family members, but is otherwise rare (except in fixed expressions such as elder statesman). Elder is generally limited to attributive position (my elder brother) and does not occur in predicative position (*my brother is elder). This also implies that elder cannot be followed by than.

Synonyms

• geriatric, long in the tooth, on in years; see also elderly

Noun

elder (plural elders)

An older person or an older member, usually a leader, of some community.

One who is older than another.

One who lived at an earlier period; a predecessor.

An officer of a church, sometimes having teaching responsibilities.

A clergyman authorized to administer all the sacraments.

(US, Mormonism) One ordained to the lowest office in the Melchizedek priesthood.

(US, Mormonism) Male missionary.

(Mormonism, often capitalized) Title for a male missionary; title for a general authority.

(paganism and Heathenry) A pagan or Heathen priest or priestess.

Synonyms

• (older person): eld, mzee, senior; see also old person

• (one who lived at an earlier period): antecessor, forerunner; see also predecessor

Verb

elder (third-person singular simple present elders, present participle eldering, simple past and past participle eldered)

(Quakerism) To admonish or reprove for improper conduct by the elders of the meeting.

Etymology 2

Noun

elder (plural elders)

A small tree, Sambucus nigra, having white flowers in a cluster, and edible purple berries

Any of the other species of the genus Sambucus: small trees, shrubs or herbaceous perennials with red, purple, or white/yellow berries (some of which are poisonous).

Synonyms

• (Sambucus nigra): black elder

Anagrams

• Edler

Source: Wiktionary

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Eld"er, a. Etym: [AS. yldra, compar. of eald old. See Old.]

1. Older; more aged, or existing longer. Let the elder men among us emulate their own earlier deeds. Jowett (Thucyd. )

2. Born before another; prior in years; senior; earlier; older; as, his elder brother died in infancy; -- opposed to Ant: younger, and now commonly applied to a son, daughter, child, brother, etc. The elder shall serve the younger. Gen. xxv. 23. But ask of elder days, earth's vernal hour. Keble. Elder hand (Card Playing), the hand playing, or having the right to play, first. Hoyle.

Eld"er, n. Etym: [AS. ealdor an elder, prince, fr. eald old. See Old, and cf. Elder, a., Alderman.]

1. One who is older; a superior in age; a senior. 1 Tim. v. 1.

2. An aged person; one who lived at an earlier period; a predecessor. Carry your head as your elders have done. L'Estrange.

3. A person who, on account of his age, occupies the office of ruler or judge; hence, a person occupying any office appropriate to such as have the experience and dignity which age confers; as, the elders of Israel; the elders of the synagogue; the elders in the apostolic church.

Note: In the modern Presbyterian churches, elders are lay officers who, with the minister, compose the church session, with authority to inspect and regulate matters of religion and discipline. In some churches, pastors or clergymen are called elders, or presbyters.

4. (M. E. Ch.)

Definition: A clergyman authorized to administer all the sacraments; as, a traveling elder. Presiding elder (Meth. Ch.), an elder commissioned by a bishop to have the oversight of the churches and preachers in a certain district.

– Ruling elder, a lay presbyter or member of a Presbyterian church session. Schaff.

El"der, n. Etym: [OE. ellern, eller, AS. ellen, cf. LG. elloorn; perh. akin to OHG. holantar, holuntar, G. holunder; or perh. to E. alder, n.] (Bot.)

Definition: A genus of shrubs (Sambucus) having broad umbels of white flowers, and small black or red berries.

Note: The common North American species is Sambucus Canadensis; the common European species (S. nigra) forms a small tree. The red- berried elder is S. pubens. The berries are diaphoretic and aperient. Box elder. See under 1st Box.

– Dwarf elder. See Danewort.

– Elder tree. (Bot.) Same as Elder. Shak.

– Marsh elder, the cranberry tree Viburnum Opulus).

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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