el·der /ˈɛldɚ/
 年長者,老人,前輩(a.)年長的,資深的


 el·der /ˈɛldɚ/ 名詞
 接骨木,老者,長者,年長的,資格老的


 Eld·er, n.
 1. One who is older; a superior in age; a senior.
 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. 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.


 Eld·er a.
 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 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.


 El·der n.  Bot. 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.  The European elder (Sambucus nigra) is also called the elderberry, bourtree, Old World elder, black elder, and common elder.
 Box elder. See under 1st Box.
 Dwarf elder. See Danewort.
 Elder tree. Bot. Same as Elder. --Shak.
 Marsh elder, the cranberry tree Viburnum Opulus).

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 elder
      adj 1: used of the older of two persons of the same name especially
             used to distinguish a father from his son; "Bill
             Adams, Sr." [syn: older, sr.]
      2: older brother or sister; "big sister" [syn: big(a), older]
         [ant: little(a)]
      n 1: a person who is older than you are [syn: senior]
      2: any of numerous shrubs or small trees of temperate and
         subtropical northern hemisphere having white flowers and
         berrylike fruit [syn: elderberry bush]
      3: any of various church officers


 Elder
    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).