elder

adj.

1. 年纪较长的
   older
   1. my elder brother
      我的哥哥
   2. his elder sister
      他的姐姐
2. （后面不紧跟名词，指两者中的）年长者
   used without a noun immediately after it to show who is the older of two people
   1. the elder of their two sons
      他们的两个儿子中年纪大的那个
3. （用于人名前或后，指同名的两个人中）年龄大的一个
   used before or after sb's name to show that they are the older of two people who have the same name
   1. the elder Pitt
      老皮特
   2. Pitt the elder
      老皮特

noun

1. 长者；长辈；元老
   people of greater age, experience and authority
   1. Children have no respect for their elders nowadays.
      现在的孩子对长辈一点儿也不尊敬。
   2. the village elders (= the old and respected people of the village)
      村里德高望重的长辈
2. 比…年长的人
   a person older than me, etc.
   1. He is her elder by several years.
      他比她年长几岁。
3. （某些基督教会中的）长老
   an official in some Christian churches
4. 接骨木
   a small tree with white flowers with a sweet smell ( elderflowers ) and bunches of small black berries ( elderberries )

1. ADJ-COMPAR （两者中）年龄较大的，年长的
   The elder of two people is the one who was born first.
   1. ...his elder brother.
      他哥哥
   2. ...the elder of her two daughters.
      她两个女儿中年长的那个
2. N-COUNT （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.
   1. The young have no respect for their elders.
      年轻人不尊重他们的长辈。
3. N-COUNT 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.
   1. ...tribal elders.
      部落长老
4. N-COUNT （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.
   1. He is now an elder of the village church.
      他现在是乡村教会的长老。
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. Clare's close resemblance to his elder sister invoked a deep dislike in him.
   克莱尔酷似他姐姐，这引起他极大的反感。
2. His elder son was killed in a car crash a few years ago.
   他的长子几年前死于车祸。
3. He has written eight books and has cultivated the image of an elder statesman
   他已经写了8本书，树立起了其政界元老的形象。
4. He was in his late eighties and had become the country's most respected elder statesman.
   他年近九旬，已成为该国最受尊崇的政界元老。
5. The young have no respect for their elders.
   年轻人不尊重他们的长辈。
6. He is now an elder of the village church.
   他现在是乡村教会的长老。
7. He has cultivated the image of an elder statesman
   他已树立起一个政界元老的形象。
8. She made liberal use of her elder sister's make-up and clothes.
   她随便把姐姐的化妆品和衣服拿来用。
9. She used to play games of make-believe with her elder sister.
   她过去常跟姐姐玩扮家家的游戏。
10. He was the prototype of the elder statesman.
    他是老一辈政治家的典型。
11. My little grandson is no trouble at all, but his 6-year-old elder sister is rude and selfish.
    我的小孙子一点都不让人操心，但是他6岁大的姐姐却野蛮而又自私。
12. The person you saw yesterday was not her, but her elder sister.
    昨天你看见的不是她，（而）是她姐姐。
13. The elder son is the cook of the walk.
    长子是掌权的人。
14. So it was Xiao Wang's elder sister who called just now.
    刚才打电话的敢情是小王的姐姐呀！
15. Everything the boy does is an express copy of his elder brother's behaviour.
    这个男孩的一举一动显然是模仿他哥哥的举止。
16. We all affectionately refer to her as our elder sister.
    我们都亲热地称她为大姐。
17. Which is the elder of the two sisters?
    两姐妹中哪个是姐姐？
18. They've got two girls, the elder ten, and the younger just two.
    他家有两个妞儿，大妞十岁，小妞才两岁。
19. His elder sister is very affectionate towards him.
    姐姐待他很有情义。
20. He is the elder of the two.
    他是两人中年纪较大的一个。
21. He married a woman nearly six years his elder.
    他和一个几乎比他大6岁的女人结了婚。
22. He is the elder tom.
    他是老汤姆。
23. The elder sister is called mary.
    姐姐名叫玛丽。
24. He adored his elder brother.
    他崇拜他的哥哥。
25. His elder brother was called up for military service.
    他的哥哥应召去服兵役。
26. She has an elder sister.
    她有一个姐姐。
27. The younger has outgrown the elder brother.
    弟弟长得比哥哥高。
28. Jane: I have one younger brother and an elder sister.
    简：我有一个弟弟和一个姐姐。
29. There are four people in my family, my parents, my elder brother and I.
    我的家庭有四个人：我的父母亲，哥哥和我。
30. This is my elder sister.
    这是我的姐姐。

  elder older【导航词义：年龄较大的】

  elder adj. 〈尤英〉较年长的

〔辨析〕一般只用于人，尤指兄弟或姐妹中较年长的，只作定语，不与 than 连用。

  older adj. 较老的，年龄较大的

〔辨析〕普通用词，可用于人或物，表示人们的年纪长幼或事物的新旧关系，多用作表语，可与 than 连用。

n.

your elders and betters

• 前辈；长者
  people who are older and wiser than you and whom you should respect

noun

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

adj

1. used of the older of two persons of the same name especially used to distinguish a father from his son
   1. Bill Adams, Sr.

   Synonym:    oldersr.