(a) [attrib 作定语] (of people; esp two closely related members of a family) older; senior （指人, 尤指家庭中两个关系密切的成员）年长的, 年龄较大的: my elder brother 我的哥哥 * her elder daughter, ie the first-born of her two daughters 她的大女儿. (b) the elder (used without an immediately following n to refer to an earlier or later n 後面不紧接名词, 用以指前面或後面的名词) the older person, etc (of two) （两人中）年长者: He is the elder of my two brothers. 他是我两兄弟中年岁较大的. * There go my two sons. Can you guess which is the elder? 那是我的两个儿子. 你能猜出哪个大吗? 
the elder (fml 文) (used before or after sb's name to distinguish him from another person with the same name 用於某人名字之前或之後, 以区别与之同名者): Pitt the elder 大皮特 * the elder Pitt 大皮特. Cf 参看 young 3.> elder n
1 my, etc elder [sing] person older than me, etc 比我等年长的人: He is her elder by several years. 他比她大几岁.
2 elders [pl] people of greater age and authority 年迈而有权威的人: the village elders, ie the old and respected people of the village 村中德高望重的前辈 * Traditions were passed on by the elders of the tribe. 部族的传统由长者承袭相传.
3 [C] official in a Presbyterian church （长老会中的）长老.
4 (idm 习语) one's (elders and) betters => better3 3.
# ,elder `statesman old and respected politician; person, usu retired, whose advice is still valued because of his long experience 政界元老（年迈而受尊重的政治家）; 老顾问（因经验丰富而其意见仍受重视的人, 通常指退休者）.
NOTE ON USAGE 用法: The usual comparative and superlative forms of old are older and oldest *old通常的比较级和最高级形式是older和oldest: My brother is older than me. 我哥哥比我年龄大. * The cathedral is the oldest building in the city. 这座大教堂是城里最古老的建筑. When comparing the ages of people, especially of members of a family, elder and eldest are often used, as adjectives and pronouns. 在比较人的年龄时, 特别是对於家庭成员, 经常使用elder和eldest, 用作形容词和代词. They cannot be used with than and as adjectives they can only be used before the noun 这两个词不可与than连用; 作形容词时, 只能用於名词前: My elder sister lives in Canada. 我姐姐住在加拿大. * He was the elder of her two sons. 他是她两个儿子中的长子. * I'm the eldest in the family. 我是全家年纪最大的.