elder

English Online Dictionary. What means elder‎? What does elder mean?

English

Pronunciation

• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈeldə/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɛldə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɛldɚ/
• Rhymes: -ɛldə(ɹ)

Etymology 1

From Middle English eldre, from Old English eldra, yldra, ieldra, from Proto-Germanic *alþizô. The vowel change from a to e triggered by the following i is called umlaut or I-mutation.

Adjective

elder

1. 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 Thesaurus:elderly

Translations

Noun

elder (plural elders)

1. A leader of a community, of great age or seniority.
2. (now chiefly US) An old person.
3. (Should we delete⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) (relational, chiefly in the plural) One who is older than another.

4. One who lived at an earlier period; a predecessor.
5. An officer of a church, sometimes having teaching responsibilities.
6. A clergyman authorized to administer all the sacraments.

7. (Should we delete⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) (Canada) An older Indigenous person respected as an authority figure, especially when in a counselling, consultative, or ceremonial role.

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

9. (US, Mormonism) A male missionary.

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

11. (Germanic paganism) A pagan or Heathen priest or priestess.

Synonyms

• (older person): eld, mzee, senior; see also Thesaurus:old person
• (one who lived at an earlier period): antecessor, forerunner; see also Thesaurus:predecessor

Translations

Verb

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

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

Derived terms

Etymology 2

Wikispecies

From Middle English eldre, eller, from Old English ellærn, from Proto-Germanic *elernaz, *eldernaz (compare Low German Elhorn, Elloorn).

Noun

elder (plural elders)

2. A small tree, Sambucus nigra, having white flowers in a cluster, and edible purple berries.
4. 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

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• alder (Alnus spp.)

Etymology 3

Perhaps from Proto-Germanic *aliþro (“udder”), from *alaną (“to nourish”). Cognate with dialectal Dutch elder (“udder”).

Noun

elder

1. A cow's udder, especially used as food.

References

• “elder”, in Collins English Dictionary.

Anagrams

• Edler

Basque

Pronunciation

Noun

elder inan

1. slime

Norwegian Bokmål

Verb

elder

1. present of elde

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

elder f

1. indefinite plural of elde

Verb

elder

1. present of elda

Old Swedish

Alternative forms

• ᚽᛚᚦᚽᚱ

Etymology

From Old Norse eldr, from Proto-Germanic *ailidaz.

Noun

elder m

1. fire
2. a skin disease - possibly erysipelas

Declension

Descendants

• Swedish: eld