elder¹

[el-der] /ˈɛl dər/

adjective, a compar. of old with eldest as superl.

of greater age; older.

of higher rank; senior:

an elder officer.

of or pertaining to former times; earlier:

Much that was forbidden by elder custom is accepted today.

noun

a person who is older or higher in rank than oneself.

an aged person.

an influential member of a tribe or community, often a chief or ruler; a superior.

a presbyter.

(in certain Protestant churches) a lay member who is a governing officer, often assisting the pastor in services.

Mormon Church. a member of the Melchizedek priesthood.

Origin

before 900; Middle English; Old English eldra, comparative of eald old

Synonyms

1. See older.

Antonyms

1. younger.

elder²

[el-der] /ˈɛl dər/

noun

any tree or shrub belonging to the genus Sambucus, of the honeysuckle family, having pinnate leaves, clusters of white flowers, and red or black, berrylike fruit.

Origin

before 900; Middle English eldre, elrene, ellerne, Old English ellærn; cognate with Middle Low German ellern

old

[ohld] /oʊld/

adjective, older, oldest or elder, eldest.

far advanced in the years of one's or its life:

an old man; an old horse; an old tree.

of or pertaining to the latter part of the life or term of existence of a person or thing:

old age.

as if or appearing to be far advanced in years:

Worry had made him old.

having lived or existed for a specified time:

a man 30 years old; a century-old organization.

having lived or existed as specified with relation to younger or newer persons or things:

Jim is our oldest boy.

having been aged for a specified time:

This whiskey is eight years old.

having been aged for a comparatively long time:

old brandy.

long known or in use:

the same old excuse.

overfamiliar to the point of tedium:

Some jokes get old fast.

10.

belonging to the past:

the good old days.

11.

having been in existence since the distant past:

a fine old family.

12.

no longer in general use:

This typewriter is an old model.

13.

acquired, made, or in use by one prior to the acquisition, making, or use of something more recent:

When the new house was built, we sold the old one.

14.

of, pertaining to, or originating at an earlier period or date:

old maps.

15.

prehistoric; ancient:

There may have been an old land bridge between Asia and Alaska.

16.

(initial capital letter) (of a language) in its oldest known period, as attested by the earliest written records:

Old Czech.

17.

experienced:

He's an old hand at welding.

18.

of long standing; having been such for a comparatively long time:

an old and trusted employee.

19.

(of colors) dull, faded, or subdued:

old rose.

20.

deteriorated through age or long use; worn, decayed, or dilapidated:

old clothes.

21.

Physical Geography. (of landforms) far advanced in reduction by erosion or the like.

22.

sedate, sensible, mature, or wise:

That child seems old beyond his years.

23.

(used to indicate affection, familiarity, disparagement, or a personalization):

good old Bob; that dirty old jalopy.

24.

Informal. (used as an intensive) great; uncommon:

a high old time.

25.

former; having been so formerly:

a dinner for his old students.

noun

26.

(used with a plural verb) old persons collectively (usually preceded by the):

appropriations to care for the old.

27.

a person or animal of a specified age or age group (used in combination):

a class for six-year-olds; a horse race for three-year-olds.

28.

old or former time, often time long past:

days of old.

Origin

before 900; Middle English; Old English eald, ald; cognate with Dutch old, German alt, Gothic altheis; akin to Old Norse ala to nourish

Related forms

oldness, noun

Synonyms

1. Old, aged, elderly all mean well along in years. An old person has lived long, nearly to the end of the usual period of life. An aged person is very far advanced in years, and is usually afflicted with the infirmities of age. An elderly person is somewhat old, but usually has the mellowness, satisfactions, and joys of age ahead. 9. olden, early.

Antonyms

1. young.

Examples from the web for elder

With the tax-filing deadline bearing down, many of us are wrestling with financial issues particular to elder care.
He portrayed himself as a tribal elder in a red bobble hat who was going to clean up politics and improve people's lives.
The loss of memories and abilities is traumatic to both the elder and the family members.
Some people are spry and nimble in their elder years.
Even so, dozens of social workers can be trained for the cost of sending one abused elder to a nursing home.
In any case, the baobab is the living elder on a continent which reveres elders.
The elder was pulling the younger monkey towards itself and the little one gave its best efforts to escape.
Every fortnight an elder dies and carries with him or her into the grave the last syllables of an ancient tongue.
His parents appear to have loathed one another, and his elder brother committed suicide.
The elder statesmen of metrology are justifiably anxious to reach the end.

British Dictionary definitions for elder

elder¹

/ˈɛldə/

adjective

born earlier; senior Compare older

(in piquet and similar card games) denoting or relating to the nondealer (the elder hand), who has certain advantages in the play

(archaic)

prior in rank, position, or office
of a previous time; former

noun

an older person; one's senior

(anthropol) a senior member of a tribe who has influence or authority

(in certain Protestant Churches) a lay office having teaching, pastoral, or administrative functions

another word for presbyter

Derived Forms

eldership, noun

Usage note

The word elder is being increasingly used, as a more respectful way of referring to older people: elder care, elder abuse

Word Origin

Old English eldra, comparative of ealdold; related to Old Norse ellri, Old High German altiro, Gothic althiza

elder²

/ˈɛldə/

noun

Also called elderberry. any of various caprifoliaceous shrubs or small trees of the genus Sambucus, having clusters of small white flowers and red, purple, or black berry-like fruits

any of various unrelated plants, such as box elder and marsh elder

Compare alder

Word Origin

Old English ellern; related to Old Norse elrir, Old High German erlīn, Old Slavonic jelǐcha, Latin alnus

Elder

/ˈɛldə/

noun

Sir Mark Philip. born 1947, British conductor; musical director of the English National Opera (1979–93) and of the Hallé Orchestra from 2000

old

/əʊld/

adjective

having lived or existed for a relatively long time: an old man, an old tradition, old wine, an old house, an old country

of or relating to advanced years or a long life: old age
(as collective noun; preceded by the): the old
old and young, people of all ages

decrepit or senile

worn with age or use: old clothes, an old car

(postpositive) having lived or existed for a specified period: a child who is six years old
(in combination): a six-year-old child
(as noun in combination): a six-year-old

(capital when part of a name or title) earlier or earliest of two or more things with the same name: the old edition, the Old Testament, old Norwich

(capital when part of a name) designating the form of a language in which the earliest known records are written: Old English

(prenominal) familiar through long acquaintance or repetition: an old friend, an old excuse

practised; hardened: old in cunning

10.

(prenominal) often preceded by good. cherished; dear: used as a term of affection or familiarity: good old George

11.

(informal) (with any of several nouns) used as a familiar form of address to a person: old thing, old bean, old stick, old fellow

12.

skilled through long experience (esp in the phrase an old hand)

13.

out-of-date; unfashionable

14.

remote or distant in origin or time of origin: an old culture

15.

(prenominal) former; previous: my old house was small

16.

(prenominal) established for a relatively long time: an old member
(in combination): old-established

17.

sensible, wise, or mature: old beyond one's years

18.

(of a river, valley, or land surface) in the final stage of the cycle of erosion, characterized by flat extensive flood plains and minimum relief See also youthful (sense 4), mature (sense 6)

19.

(intensifier) (esp in phrases such as a good old time, any old thing, any old how, etc)

20.

(of crops) harvested late

21.

good old days, an earlier period of time regarded as better than the present

22.

(informal) little old, indicating affection, esp humorous affection: my little old wife

23.

(informal) the old one, the old gentleman, a jocular name for Satan

noun

24.

an earlier or past time (esp in the phrase of old): in days of old

Derived Forms

oldish, adjective
oldness, noun

Usage note

Many people nowadays prefer to talk about older people rather than old people, and the phrase the old is best avoided altogether

Word Origin

Old English eald; related to Old Saxon ald, Old High German, German alt, Latin altus high

Word Origin and History for elder

adj.

"more old," Old English (Mercian) eldra, comparative of eald, ald (see old); only English survival of umlaut in comparison. Superseded by older since 16c. Elder statesman (1921) originally was a translation of Japanese genro (plural).

"senior citizen," c.1200, from Old English eldra "older person, parent" (used in biblical translation for Greek presbyter); see elder (adj.). The Old English for "grandfather" was ealdfæder.

type of berry tree, c.1400, from earlier ellen, from Old English ellæn, ellærn "elderberry tree," origin unknown, perhaps related to alder. Common Germanic, cf. Old Saxon elora, Middle Low German elre, Old High German elira, German Eller, Erle. Related: Elderberry.

old

adj.

Old English ald (Anglian), eald (West Saxon) "aged, antique, primeval; elder, experienced," from West Germanic *althas "grown up, adult" (cf. Old Frisian ald, Gothic alþeis, Dutch oud, German alt), originally a past participle stem of a verb meaning "grow, nourish" (cf. Gothic alan "to grow up," Old Norse ala "to nourish"), from PIE root *al- "to grow, nourish" (cf. Greek aldaino "make grow, strengthen," althein, althainein "to get well;" Latin alere "to feed, nourish, bring up, increase," altus "high," literally "grown tall," almus "nurturing, nourishing," alumnus "fosterling, step-child;" Old Irish alim "I nourish").

The usual PIE root is *sen- (see senior (adj.)). A few Indo-European languages distinguish words for "old" (vs. young) from words for "old" (vs. new), and some have separate words for aged persons as opposed to old things. Latin senex was used of aged living things, mostly persons, while vetus (literally "having many years") was used of inanimate things. Greek geraios was used mostly of humans; Greek palaios was used mostly of things, of persons only in a derogatory sense. Greek also had arkhaios, literally "belonging to the beginning," which parallels French ancien, used mostly with reference to things "of former times."

Old English also had fyrn "ancient," related to Old English feor "far, distant" (see far, and cf. Gothic fairneis, Old Norse forn "old, of old, of former times," Old High German firni "old, experienced"). The original Old English vowel is preserved in Scots auld, also in alderman. The original comparative and superlative (elder, eldest) are retained in particular uses.

First record of old-timer is from 1860. Expression old as the hills first recorded 1819. The good old days dates from 1828. Of old "of old times" is from late 14c. Old Glory for "the American flag" is first attested 1862. Old maid "woman who remains single well beyond the usual marrying age" is from 1520s; the card game is attested by that name from 1844. Old man "man who has lived long" is from c.1200; sense of "husband, father, boss" is from 1854, earlier (1830) it was military slang for "commanding officer;" old lady "wife, mother" is attested from c.1775. Old English is attested from 1701, originally as a type of font. Old boy originally was a former pupil of one of the English public schools. Old Testament attested from mid-14c.

Slang definitions & phrases for elder

old

adjective

Good; dear; well-liked: What's old Donald up to now? (1598+)

Related Terms

any old

elder in the Bible

a name frequently used in the Old Testament as denoting a person clothed with authority, and entitled to respect and reverence (Gen. 50:7). It also denoted a political office (Num. 22:7). The "elders of Israel" held a rank among the people indicative of authority. Moses opened his commission to them (Ex. 3:16). They attended Moses on all important occasions. Seventy of them attended on him at the giving of the law (Ex. 24:1). Seventy also were selected from the whole number to bear with Moses the burden of the people (Num. 11:16, 17). The "elder" is the keystone of the social and political fabric wherever the patriarchal system exists. At the present day this is the case among the Arabs, where the sheik (i.e., "the old man") is the highest authority in the tribe. The body of the "elders" of Israel were the representatives of the people from the very first, and were recognized as such by Moses. All down through the history of the Jews we find mention made of the elders as exercising authority among the people. They appear as governors (Deut. 31:28), as local magistrates (16:18), administering justice (19:12). They were men of extensive influence (1 Sam. 30:26-31). In New Testament times they also appear taking an active part in public affairs (Matt. 16:21; 21:23; 26:59). The Jewish eldership was transferred from the old dispensation to the new. "The creation of the office of elder is nowhere recorded in the New Testament, as in the case of deacons and apostles, because the latter offices were created to meet new and special emergencies, while the former was transmitted from the earlies times. In other words, the office of elder was the only permanent essential office of the church under either dispensation." The "elders" of the New Testament church were the "pastors" (Eph. 4:11), "bishops or overseers" (Acts 20:28), "leaders" and "rulers" (Heb. 13:7; 1 Thess. 5:12) of the flock. Everywhere in the New Testament bishop and presbyter are titles given to one and the same officer of the Christian church. He who is called presbyter or elder on account of his age or gravity is also called bishop or overseer with reference to the duty that lay upon him (Titus 1:5-7; Acts 20:17-28; Phil. 1:1).