adjective

1. born or brought forth earlier than another or others; exceeding another in age; senior; older
2. Obsolete of longer standing or superior rank, position, validity, etc.
3. Now Rare earlier; former; ancient

Etymology: ME < OE (Mercian) eldra, ældra, compar. < base of ald, eald, old

noun

1. an older person
2. an aged person
3. a forefather; ancestor; predecessor
4. an older person with some authority or dignity in a tribe or community
5. 1. an officer in an early Christian church
   2. in some Protestant churches, a minister; also, a member appointed to the ruling body who may also assist at Communion
   3. ☆ Mormon Ch. a member of the Melchizedek priesthood

noun

1. any of a genus (Sambucus) of shrubs and small trees of the honeysuckle family, with compound leaves and flat-topped clusters of small white flowers followed by red or purple berries
2. any of various unrelated plants, as the box elder or the marsh elder

Etymology: ME ellerne & (with intrusive -d- as in alder) eldore < OE ellern, ellen, akin to MLowG ellern, eldern < IE base *el- > elm, alder, L alnus, elder