Emily Dickinson Lexicon

EL'BOW, v.i.

To jut into an angle; to project; to bend.

EL'BOW, v.t.

1. To push with the elbow. Dryden.
2. To push or drive to a distance; to encroach on. He'll elbow out his neighbors. Dryden.

EL'BOW-CHAIR, n.

A chair with arms to support the elbows; an arm-chair. Gay.

EL'BOW-ED, pp.

Pushed with the elbows.

EL'BOW-ING, ppr.

Pushing with the elbows; driving to a distance.

EL'BOW-ROOM, n.

Room to extend the elbows on each side; hence, in its usual acceptation, perfect freedom from confinement; ample room for motion or action. South. Shak.

ELD, n. [Sax. eld, or æld, old age. See Old.]

1. Old age; decrepitude. [Obs.] Spenser.
2. Old people; persons worn out with age. Chapman. [This word is entirely obsolete. But its derivative elder is in use.]

ELD'ER, a. [Sax. ealdor, the comparative degree of eld, now written old. See Old.]

1. Older; senior; having lived a longer time; born, produced, or formed before something else; opposed to younger. The elder shall serve the younger. Gen. xxv. His elder son was in the field. Luke xv.
2. Prior in origin; preceding in the date of a commission; as, an elder officer or magistrate. In this sense, we generally use senior.

ELD'ER, n.

1. One who is older than another or others.
2. An ancestor. Carry your head as your elders have done before you. L'Estrange.
3. A person advanced in life, and who, on account of his age, experience, and wisdom, is selected for office. Among rude nations, elderly men are rulers, judges, magistrates, or counselors. Among the Jews, the seventy men associated with Moses in the government of the people, were elders. In the first Christian churches, elders were persons who enjoyed offices or ecclesiastical functions, and the word includes apostles, pastors, teachers, presbyters, bishops, or overseers. Peter and John called themselves elders. The first councils of Christians were called presbyteria, councils of elders. In the modern presbyterian churches, elders are officers who, with the pastors or ministers and deacons, compose the consistories or kirk-sessions, with authority to inspect and regulate matters of religion and discipline. In the first churches of New England, the pastors or ministers were called elders or teaching elders.

ELD'ER, n. [Sax. ellarn; Sw. hyll, or hylleträ; Dan. hyld, or hylde-træ; G. holder, or hohlunder. It seems to be named from hollowness.]

The popular name of a genus of plants called by naturalist Sambucus.

ELD'ER-LY, a.

Somewhat old; advanced beyond age; bordering on old age; as, elderly people.

ELD'ER-SHIP, n.

1. Seniority; the state of being older. Dryden.
2. The office of an elder. Eliot.
3. Presbytery; order of elders. Hooker.

ELD'EST, a. [Sax. ealdest, superlative of eld, old.]

Oldest; most advanced in age; that was born before others; as, the eldest son or daughter. It seems to be always applies to persons, or at least to animals, and not to things. If ever applied to things, it must signify, that was first formed or produced, that has existed the longest time. But applied to things, we use oldest.

ELD'ING, n. [Sax. ælan, to burn.]

Fuel. [Local.] Grose.

EL-E-AT'IC, a.

An epithet given to a certain sect of philosophers, so called from Elea, or Velia, a town of the Lucani; as, the Eleatic sect of philosophy. Encyc.

EL-E-CAM-PANE', n. [D. alant; G. alant or alantuurzel; L. helenium, from Gr. ελενιον, which signifies this plant and a feast in honor of Helen. Pliny informs us that this plant was so called because it was said to have sprung from the tears of Helen. The last part of the word is from the Latin campana; Inula campana.]

The popular name of a plant, the Inula Helenium of Linnæus.

E-LECT', a.

1. Chosen; taken by preference from among two or more. Hence,
2. In theology, chosen as the object of mercy; chosen, selected or designated to eternal life; predestinated in the divine counsels.
3. Chosen, but not inaugurated, consecrated or invested with office as, bishop elect; emperor elect; governor or mayor elect. But in the Scriptures, and in theology, this word is generally used as a noun.

E-LECT', n.

1. One chosen or set apart; applied to Christ. Behold my servant, whom I uphold; my elect, in whom my soul delighteth. Is. xlii.
2. Chosen or designated by God to salvation; predestinated to glory as the end, and to sanctification as the means; usually with a plural signification, the elect. Shall not God avenge his own elect? Luke xviii. If it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Matth. xxiv. He shall send his angels – and they shall gather his elect from the four winds. Matth. xxiv.
3. Chosen; selected; set apart as a peculiar church and people; applied to the Israelites. Is. xlv.

E-LECT', v.t. [L. electus, from eligo; e or ex and lego, Gr. λεγω, to choose; Fr. elire, from eligere; It. eleggere; Sp. elegir; Port. eleger.]

1. Properly, to pick out; to select from among two or more, that which is preferred. Hence,
2. To select or take for an office or employment; to choose from among a number; to select or manifest preference by vote or designation; as, to elect a representative by ballot or viva voce; to elect a president or governor.
3. In theology, to designate, choose, or select as an object of mercy or favor.
4. To choose; to prefer; to determine in favor of.

E-LECT'ANT, n.

That has the power of choosing.

E-LECT'ED, pp.

Chosen; preferred; designated to office by some act of the constituents, as by vote; chosen or predestinated to eternal life.

E-LEC'TI-CISM, n.

The system of selecting doctrines and opinions from other systems. Emerson.

E-LECT'ING, ppr.

Choosing; selecting from a number; preferring; designating to office by choice or preference; designating or predestinating to eternal salvation.

E-LEC'TION, n. [L. electio.]

1. The act of choosing; choice; the act of selecting one or more from others. Hence appropriately,
2. The act of choosing a person to fill an office or employment, by any manifestation of preference, as by ballot, uplifted hands, or viva voce; as, the election of a king, of a president, or a mayor. Corruption in elections is the great enemy of freedom. J. Adams.
3. Choice; voluntary preference; free will; liberty to act or not. It is at his election to accept or refuse.
4. Power of choosing or selecting. Davies.
5. Discernment; discrimination; distinction. To use men with much difference and election if good. Bacon.
6. In theology, divine choice; predetermination of God, by which persons are distinguished as objects of mercy, become subjects of grace, are sanctified and prepared for heaven. There is a remnant according to the election of grace. Rom. xi.
7. The public choice of officers.
8. The day of a public choice of officers.
9. Those who are elected. The election hath obtained it. Rom. xiv.

E-LEC'TION-EER, v.t.

To make interest for a candidate at an election; to use arts for securing the election of a candidate.