adj (1) 年龄较大的(older，senior，usu of one of two closely related people) [作attrib]：～brother/sister/daughter/son 哥哥/姐姐/长女/长子; 〖同〗 older，senior; 〖反〗 younger，junior;

(2) 1) 年龄较大者(the older person) [the～]：the～of the two children/the two brothers 两个孩子/两兄弟中年龄较大的那个; Which is the～of your two daughters? 你的两个女儿哪个大? He is about five years the～. 他大约年长五岁。2) [the～] (用于姓名的前面或后面以区别两个同名的人)：the～Churchill/Churchill the～年长的那个邱吉尔/老邱吉尔;

n (1) 年长者，年龄较大者(person who is older) [C，sing]： He is my～by four/by several years. 他比我年长四岁/几岁。〖同〗 senior; 〖反〗 junior;

(2) 长者(辈)，元老 (older，influential man of a tribe，community，etc) [pl]：the village/the tribe～s(the～s of the village/of the tribe) 村里/部落中的长辈; have respect for/trust to the advice of one's～s 尊重/相信长辈的忠告; the relationship between the boys and their～s 那些男孩子和长辈之间的关系; The administration of justice lay in the hands of the local～s. 执法权掌握在当地的元老手中。〖同〗 senior; 〖反〗 junior;

(3) (基督教长老会的)长老 (office-bearer in Presbyterian churches) [C]：The～s distribute the bread and the wine at Communion services. 长老们在圣餐会上分发面包和酒。

【注意】old 的比较级和最高级形式older和oldest指年龄，既可以指人，也可以指物，如：I'm two years older than my brother. (我比我弟弟大两岁。) This is the oldest tree I've ever seen. (这是我所见过的最老的树。)当指长幼、比较同一家庭成员的年龄时则通常使用elder和eldest，如：my elder brother (我哥哥);the elder of the two children (两个孩子中年龄大的那个); Who is the eldest in your family? (你们家谁最年长?) 另外，elder不能与than连用。