elder

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A common hedgerow bush (Sambucus nigra; American elder is S. canadensis); the flowers are used to flavour cordials, syrups, fruit jellies, and elderflower wine. The fruit is used for making jelly and wine (elderberry wine). Stems and leaves contain alkaloids that cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea.

adjective

Of greater age than another: older, senior. See youth/age/maturity.

noun

1. A person who is older than another: senior. See youth/age/maturity.
2. An elderly person: ancient, golden ager, senior, senior citizen. Informal oldster, old-timer. See youth/age/maturity.
3. One who stands above another in rank: better¹, senior, superior. Informal higher-up. See over/under.

adj

Definition: born earlier
Antonyms: last-born, younger, youngest

n

Definition: older person
Antonyms: junior, minor, youngster, youth

(Heb. zekenim). In biblical society, persons who acquired a special status of authority as a result of their age, wisdom, and social position. A relationship between eldership and leadership was recognized at a very early stage in Israel's history (Ex. 3:16). The first significant mention of elders is in Numbers (11:16, 24), where God instructs Moses to gather 70 men already known as the elders of the people and its officers, who were to experience the Divine Presence (Shekhina), receive His inspiration, and share the responsibility of leadership with Moses. The concept of elders existed not only among the people of Israel but among their neighbors as well (Num. 22:7).

The Bible also refers to the "elders of the city" in connection with five laws appearing in Deuteronomy: blood redemption (Deut. 19:12) (see Blood Avenger), expiation of murder by an unknown assailant (Deut. 21:1-9), the Rebellious Son (ibid. 18-21), the defamation of a virgin (Deut. 22:13-21), and levirate marriage (Deut. 25:5-10). The apparent common denominator of all these laws is the proprietary involvement of the elders of the city in the interests of the family, clan, and community. The function of elder is distinguished in Deuteronomy from that of judge, who acts in cases of litigation and criminal prosecution (see, e.g., Deut. 17:8ff., 19:17-18, 25:1-3). The Bible recognizes elders of the entire people, men whose communal function continued even after the establishment of the monarchy (II Sam. 3:17, 5:3, 17:4, 15; I Kings 20:7). The Mishnah (Avot intro.) asserts that in the biblical period the elders (presumably of the entire people) were responsible for the continuity of religious tradition after the death of joshua and that they ultimately passed this responsibility onto the prophets.

In the talmudic period, the title "elder" became identified with scholarship, the Talmud claiming the Hebrew zaken to be an acronym of the Hebrew words, "he has acquired wisdom" (Kid. 32b). The Talmud discusses the case of the ZAKEN MAMREH, the scholar who rules or acts in defiance of a final decision of the Great SANHEDRIN (see Deut. 17:8-12; San. 11:2) and who, under certain circumstances, might even incur the death penalty.

After the talmudic period, the title "elder" is used for both a communal leader and a scholar. From the middle of the 18th century, however, it disappears almost completely. On the other hand, modern anti-Semites have used the term to evoke the image of an aging Jewish leadership plotting political control of the entire planet, notably in the notorious. late-19th century forgery, the "Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion" (see ANTI-SEMITISM).

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Traditional attitudes towards the elder are contradictory. Many people thought it evil, and would never lop it, bring its flowers into the house, or make tools from its wood; to burn it would bring death, or the Devil, into the house. Its shade was thought to poison all other plants, and even humans sleeping nearby; also, a gash from an elder stick supposedly never heals, and babies rocked in elder-wood cradles always die young. Some said this was because Judas hanged himself on an elder, others that it is ‘a witch-tree’ (cf. Rollright Stones). In some districts anyone about to cut elder wood asked permission, though the formula used had a trick in it: ‘Owd Gal, give me of thy wood, and Oi will give some of moine, when Oi graws inter a tree’ (or, ‘when I am dead’, in other versions).

In contrast, others though it sacred, because the Cross was made of elder wood; it would never be struck by lightning, and one near a house would drive away all evil, especially witches. Its leaves or twigs, carried in the pocket, were a defence against witchcraft and a cure for rheumatism; a necklace of its twigs prevented fits.

Elderflower tea and elderberry wine were good for coughs, colds, and fevers, and the bark boiled in milk for jaundice; the leaves were used in poultices and ointments, for example for grazes and for eczema. The smell of the leaves repels flies and wasps, so elder bushes were planted outside the windows of dairies and larders, and round outdoor lavatories.Vickery, 1995: 118-26; Allen and Hatfield, 2004: 270-72; Roud, 2003: 167-70; Opie and Tatem, 1989: 127-9.

IN BRIEF: n. - A person who is older than you are; Any of various church officers; Any of numerous shrubs or small trees of temperate and subtropical northern hemisphere having white flowers and berrylike fruit.

Tutor's tip: An "elder" (a person with authority) statesman in the Senate is not necessarily "older" (comparative of old) than the other senators.

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For a list of words related to elder, see:

• Trees
• Shrubs
• Family Affairs - elder: respected, senior member of family or tribe
• Respectful or Admiring Reference
• Individuals and Titles - elder: minister or esteemed congregation member

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See words rhyming with "elder."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Elder.

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Dansk (Danish)
1.
adj. - ældre, ældste, gamle, tidligere generationer, medlem af ældreråd
n. - de ældre, de ældste

idioms:

• elder statesman    ældre statsmand, gammel erfaren person

2.
n. - hyld

Nederlands (Dutch)
oudere, superieur/ voorganger, ouderling, vlier

Français (French)
1.
adj. - aîné (de deux)
n. - aîné, (Relig) membre du conseil d'une église presbytérienne

idioms:

• elder statesman    vétéran de la politique, homme politique chevronné

2.
n. - (Bot) sureau

Deutsch (German)
1.
adj. - älter
n. - Alter, Ältester, Holunder

idioms:

• elder statesman    erfahrener Staatsmann

2.
n. - (Br.) Schwarzerle, (bot) Holunder

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - πρωτότοκος, (ο) μεγαλύτερος στα χρόνια, δημογέροντας, προεστός, (φυτολ.) σαμπούκος, αφροξυλιά
adj. - μεγαλύτερος στα χρόνια, γεροντότερος, πρεσβύτερος

idioms:

• elder statesman    γηραιός ή παλαίμαχος πολιτικός, Νέστορας της πολιτικής

Italiano (Italian)
anziano, sambuco

idioms:

• elder statesman    politico veterano

Português (Portuguese)
n. - ancião (m), antepassado (m), sabugueiro (m) (Bot.)
adj. - mais antigo, primogênito

idioms:

• elder statesman    pessoa (f) respeitável devido à experiência

Русский (Russian)
старец, старший, старшина, бузина, самбук

idioms:

• elder statesman    политик старшего поколения

Español (Spanish)
1.
adj. - mayor, de más edad, más antiguo, viejo, superior
n. - mayor, anciano, jefe de tribu o familia, dignatario, funcionario eclesiástico

idioms:

• elder statesman    ilustre estadista, estadista jubilado

2.
n. - saúco, sabuco, sabugo

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - församlingsäldste
adj. - äldre

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
1. 年长的, 资深的, 年长者, 前辈, 老人

idioms:

• elder statesman    政界元老

2. 接骨木

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
1.
adj. - 年長的, 資深的
n. - 年長者, 前輩, 老人

idioms:

• elder statesman    政界元老

2.
n. - 接骨木

한국어 (Korean)
1.
adj. - 손위의, 연장의
n. - 연장자, 조상, 원로

2.
n. - 넓은 잎 딱총나무의 일종

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 年上の, 先輩の, 古参の, 長老の
n. - 年長者, 先輩, 元老, ニワトコ, 年上の人

idioms:

• elder statesman    長老

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) الأكبر سنا (صفه) أكبر سنا‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮קשיש, מבוגר, בכיר, גדול‬
n. - ‮קשיש, מבוגר‬
n. - ‮סמבוק (שיח נוי)‬

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