eldest

eldest
elder, eldest, older, oldest
1. Elder and eldest mean the same as older and oldest but they are much narrower in their range of use, being applicable only to people and only as nouns or attributive adjectives (before nouns). You can say his elder brother / her sister is the eldest / John is my eldest son / but you cannot say ☒ John is elder than Paul / ☒ Which one is eldest? / ☒ Who has the elder car? In these cases, older or oldest has to be used, as it can also in the cases where elder and eldest are legitimate.
2. Elder has special uses in elder hand (in cards), elder (= senior) partner, and elder statesman, and (as a noun) is the title of lay officers of the Presbyterian Church.

Modern English usage. 2014.

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  • Eldest —   …   Wikipedia

  • Eldest — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Eldest Título original Eldest Autor Christopher Paolini Traductor Enrique de Hériz Ilustrador John Jude …   Wikipedia Español

  • Eldest — Eld est, a. [AS. yldest, superl. of eald old. See {Elder}, a.] 1. Oldest; longest in duration. Shak. [1913 Webster] 2. Born or living first, or before the others, as a son, daughter, brother, etc.; first in origin. See {Elder}. My lady s eldest… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • eldest — [el′dist] adj. [ME < OE eldest(a), ieldest(a), superl. of ald, eald: see OLD] oldest; esp., firstborn or oldest surviving …   English World dictionary

  • eldest — O.E. (Mercian) eldrost, superlative of eald, ald old (see OLD (Cf. old)). Superseded by oldest since 16c. Cf. ELDER (Cf. elder) (1) …   Etymology dictionary

  • eldest — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ (of one out of a group of people) oldest …   English terms dictionary

  • eldest — /ˈɛldəst / (say elduhst) adjective 1. oldest; now surviving only in the eldest brother, sister, and eldest hand. –noun 2. eldest child: Susie is my eldest. {Middle English, Old English eldest(a), superlative of ald, eald old} …  

  • eldest — el|dest [ˈeldıst] adj especially BrE the eldest of a group of people, especially brothers and sisters, is the one who was born first →↑old eldest son/daughter/brother/child etc ▪ My eldest daughter is 17. ▪ He was the eldest of six children …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • eldest — [[t]e̱ldɪst[/t]] ADJ SUPERL The eldest person in a group is the one who was born before all the others. The eldest child was a daughter called Fiona... David was the eldest of three boys... The two eldest are already doing well at Kings Wood …   English dictionary

  • eldest — adjective 1 eldest son/sister/child etc the oldest son, etc among a group of people, especially brothers and sisters: Her eldest child is at university now. 2 the eldest the oldest one in a group of people, especially brothers and sisters: I have …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

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