Part 3648

<h1>Eld</h1> <Xpage=476>

<hw>Eld</hw>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[AS. <ets>yldu</ets>, <ets>yldo</ets>, <ets>eldo</ets>, old age, fr. <ets>ald</ets>, <ets>eald</ets>, old. See <er>Old</er>.]</ety>

<p><b>1.</b> <def>Age; esp., old age.</def> <mark>[Obs. or Archaic]</mark>

<blockquote>As sooth is said, <b>eelde</b> hath great avantage. <i>Chaucer.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>Great Nature, ever young, yet full of <b>eld</b>. <i>Spenser.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>Old times; former days; antiquity.</def> <mark>[Poetic]</mark>

<blockquote>Astrologers and men of <b>eld</b>. <i>Longfellow.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Eld</h1> <Xpage=476>

<hw>Eld</hw>, <tt>v. i.</tt> <def>To age; to grow old.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<h1>Eld</h1> <Xpage=476>

<hw>Eld</hw>, <tt>v. t.</tt> <def>To make old or ancient.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<blockquote>Time, that <b>eldeth</b> all things. <i>Rom. of R.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Elder</h1> <Xpage=476>

<hw>Eld"er</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[AS. <ets>yldra</ets>, compar. of <ets>eald</ets> old. See <er>Old</er>.]</ety>

<p><b>1.</b> <def>Older; more aged, or existing longer.</def>

<blockquote>Let the <b>elder</b> men among us emulate their own earlier deeds. <i>Jowett (Thucyd. )</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>Born before another; prior in years; senior; earlier; older; <as>as, his <ex>elder</ex> brother died in infancy</as>; -- opposed to <ant>younger</ant>, and now commonly applied to a son, daughter, child, brother, etc.</def>

<blockquote>The <b>elder</b> shall serve the younger. <i>Gen. xxv. 23.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>But ask of <b>elder</b> days, earth's vernal hour. <i>Keble.</i></blockquote>

<cs><col>Elder hand</col> <fld>(Card Playing)</fld>, <cd>the hand playing, or having the right to play, first.</cd></cs>

<i>Hoyle.</i>

<h1>Elder</h1> <Xpage=476>

<hw>Eld"er</hw>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[AS. <ets>ealdor</ets> an elder, prince, fr. <ets>eald</ets> old. See <er>Old</er>, and cf. <er>Elder</er>, <tt>a.</tt>, <er>Alderman</er>.]</ety>

<p><b>1.</b> <def>One who is older; a superior in age; a senior.</def>

<i>1 Tim. v. 1.</i>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>An aged person; one who lived at an earlier period; a predecessor.</def>

<blockquote>Carry your head as your <b>elders</b> have done. <i>L'Estrange.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>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>as, the <ex>elders</ex> of Israel; the <ex>elders</ex> of the synagogue; the <ex>elders</ex> in the apostolic church.</as></def>