eldest

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛldɪst/

• Audio (Southern England):

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• Hyphenation: eld‧est

eldest

1. superlative form of old: most old; greatest in age or seniority.
   • 1945, E[lizabeth] G[idley] Withycombe, “Introduction”, in The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page xiii:

     The eldest son was usually given the name of his paternal grandfather, later children those of other relatives.

2. (card games) (of a player) Receiving cards from the dealer first, before any other players.
3. (card games) (of a hand) Having higher, or superior cards.
   • 2003, The Card Game Set‎^[1], Thunder Bay Press:

     Each player draws a card, and the lowest becomes eldest hand.

The normal superlative of old is oldest. The form eldest usually refers to relations with respect to seniority in age: eldest daughter, eldest brother.

• oldest

eldest (plural eldests)

1. The eldest child in a family, or individual in a group.

• Ledets, steeld

eldest

1. inflection of eldast:
   1. present tense
   2. past tense