elder

n. any of a number of trees or shrubs; person who is older

adj. aged; elderly; not new; veteran; former; of the age #

Elder can refer to various topics:Elderly Elder (administrative title)Elder (Christianity)Elder (Methodism)Elder (Latter Day Saints)Eldership (Estonia)Elderberry
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Noun
1. a person who is older than you are
(synonym) senior
(hypernym) adult, grownup
(hyponym) dean, doyen
2. any of numerous shrubs or small trees of temperate and subtropical northern hemisphere having white flowers and berrylike fruit
(synonym) elderberry bush
(hypernym) shrub, bush
(hyponym) American elder, black elderberry, sweet elder, Sambucus canadensis
(member-holonym) Sambucus, genus Sambucus
3. any of various church officers
(hypernym) church officer
(hyponym) presbyter
Adjective
1. used of the older of two persons of the same name especially used to distinguish a father from his son; "Bill Adams, Sr."
(synonym) older, sr.
(similar) senior
2. older brother or sister; "big sister"
(synonym) big(a), older

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

(a.)
One who is older; a superior in age; a senior.
  

(a.)
Older; more aged, or existing longer.
  

(a.)
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.
  

(a.)
An aged person; one who lived at an earlier period; a predecessor.
  

(a.)
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.
  

(a.)
A clergyman authorized to administer all the sacraments; as, a traveling elder.
  

The term elder, or old man as the Hebrew literally imports, was one of extensive use, as an official title, among the Hebrews and the surrounding nations, because the heads of tribes and the leading people who had acquired influence were naturally the older people of the nation. It had reference to various offices. (Genesis 24:2; 50:7; 2 Samuel 12:17; Ezekiel 27:9) As betokening a political office, it applied not only to the Hebrews, but also to the Egyptians, (Genesis 50:7) the Moabites and the Midianites. (Numbers 22:7) The earliest notice of the elders acting in concert as a political body is at the time of the Exodus. They were the representatives of the people, so much so that elders and people are occasionally used as equivalent terms; comp. (Joshua 24:1) with (Joshua 24:2,19,21) and (1 Samuel 8:4) with (1 Samuel 8:7,10,19) Their authority was undefined, and extended to all matters concerning the public weal. Their number and influence may be inferred from (1 Samuel 30:26)ff. They retained their position under all the political changes which the Jews underwent. The seventy elders mentioned in Exodus and Numbers were a sort of governing body, a parliament, and the origin of the tribunal of seventy elders called the Sanhedrin or Council. In the New Testament Church the elders or presbyters were the same as the bishops. It was an office derived from the Jewish usage of elders or rulers of the synagogues. See: Bishop