elder: Meaning and Definition of

eld•er

1. a person who is older or higher in rank than oneself.
2. an aged person.
3. an influential member of a tribe or community, often a chief or ruler; a superior.
4. a presbyter.
5. (in certain Protestant churches) a lay member who is a governing officer, often assisting the pastor in services.
6. a member of the Melchizedek priesthood.

el•der

1. any tree or shrub belonging to the genus Sambucus, of the honeysuckle family, having pinnate leaves, clusters of white flowers, and red or black, berrylike fruit.