eldest, eldeste

[A. S. yldesta, super. of eald=old.] 1. Oldest; most advanced in age or years; born before all others. "For that he was eldeste me lokede upon hym best by right." Robert de Brunne, p. 23. 2. Of oldest or longest standing. "He who called himself the eldest son of that Church." -Macaulay: Hist. Eng ., ch. xi. *ěld-fa-ther, *alde-fader, *alde-vader, *eldfader, *eld-fadyr, *ealde-fæder, *eelde fadir, s. [A. S. eald - feder , ealde- fæder .] 1. A grandfather. 2. A father-in-law. IMG:content-0822.png:[blocks in formation] ěld-ing (2), eild-ing, s . [A. S. ælan to kindle, to set on fire; æld , æled =fire; O. S.æld; Icel. eldr .] Fuel ( Prov .). "The daylight, during the winter, is spent by many of the women and children in gathering elding , as they call it, that is, sticks, furze, or broom for fuel."-P. Kirkin ner: Wigtons. Statis. Acc., iv. 147. eldin-docker, s. IMG:content-0823.png:[blocks in formation] Ěl Dör-a-dō, s. [Sp.el=the, and dorado =gilt.] I. Lit .: A country which Orellana, the lieutenant of Pizarro, pretended he had discovered between the rivers Orinoco and Amazon, in South America, and which he declared to be a veritable "land of gold." Sir W. Raleigh identified it with Guiana, and published a highly-colored account of its fabulous wealth of the precious metals. "Guiana, whose great city Geryon's sons Call El Dorado ." Milton: P. L. , vi. 410, 411 IMG:content-0824.png:[blocks in formation] A. As adjective : 1. Of or pertaining to Elea or Velia, a town of Magna Græcia. 2. Relating to the school of philosophy founded by Xenophanes at Elea. He held the unity of God and his eternity. He believed also that the world had always existed. Whether he combined with these views Pantheistic tenets has been a matter of dispute. Other Eleatics were Par me nides, Zeno, . B. As subst.: A follower of the system of philosophy founded by Xenophanes.