形容词

名词

1. （两者中）年龄较大的，年长的
The elder of two people is the one who was born first.

2. （尤指年纪大很多的）年长者，长辈
A person's elder is someone who is older than them, especially someone quite a lot older.

3. 有威望的长者;元老
In some societies, an elder is one of the respected older people who have influence and authority.

4. （某些基督教会中不担任牧师的）长老
In some Christian churches, an elder is one of the people who hold a position of responsibility, but not usually a minister.

5. 接骨木
An elder is a bush or small tree which has groups of small white flowers and black berries.

In British English, the adjective elder is usually only used to describe brothers and sisters. ...her elder sister. You use older to talk about the age of other people or things. Elder cannot be followed by than but older can be. I've got a sister who is older than me. Do not confuse elder and elderly. If you describe someone as elderly, you mean that they are old, but this is a slightly more polite word than 'old'. 'The elderly' are elderly people.
英国英语中形容词 elder 通常只用来指哥哥、姐姐，如，her elder sister (她姐姐)。older用于指年龄。elder 后不能接 than，而 older 则可以。例如，I've got a sister who is older than me (我有个姐姐)。不要混淆 elder 和 elderly。elderly意为“年老的”，但比用 old 稍显礼貌一点。the elderly 指老年人。

1. a person who is older than you are

Synonym: senior

2. any of various church officers

3. any of numerous shrubs or small trees of temperate and subtropical northern hemisphere having white flowers and berrylike fruit

Synonym: elderberry bush