elder

elder

elder¹ [el′dər]

adj.

[ME < OE (Mercian) eldra, ældra, compar. < base of ald, eald, OLD]

1. born or brought forth earlier than another or others; exceeding another in age; senior; older

2. Obs. of longer standing or superior rank, position, validity, etc.

3. Now Rare earlier; former; ancient

n.

1. an older person

2. an aged person

3. a forefather; ancestor; predecessor

4. an older person with some authority or dignity in a tribe or community

5.

a) an officer in an early Christian church

b) in some Protestant churches, a minister; also, a member appointed to the ruling body who may also assist at Communion

☆ c) Mormon Ch. a member of the Melchizedek priesthood

elder² [el′dər]

n.

[ME ellerne & (with intrusive -d- as in ALDER) eldore < OE ellern, ellen, akin to MLowG ellern, eldern < IE base * el- > ELM, ALDER, L alnus, elder]

1. any of a genus (Sambucus) of shrubs and small trees of the honeysuckle family, with compound leaves and flat-topped clusters of small white flowers followed by red or purple berries

2. any of various unrelated plants, as the box elder or the marsh elder