aldermen

Noun

alderman (plural aldermen)

1. A member of a municipal legislative body in a city or town.
2. (UK, historical, obsolete, slang) A half-crown coin; its value, 30 pence.
   • The price of a case (five shillings piece bad) from the smasher is about one shilling; an alderman (two and sixpence) about sixpence; a peg (shilling) about threepence; a downer or sprat (sixpence) about twopence.1859, Snowden's magistrates assistant, page 90
3. A long pipe for smoking.
   • In one part of Cockaigne an amalgamation of these two last has lately taken place; and the pleasure experienced by the parishioners of Walbrook is unbounded when smoking an alderman and churchwarden.1843, John William Carleton, The Sporting Review, volume 10, page 419
4. (US, slang) A large, protruding, or swollen abdomen; a paunch, a potbelly.
   • He'd exercise, get the fat off, because if he let it go, he'd have too much on and maybe make his heart worse, and you looked like hell with an alderman. […] And she wouldn't want a guy who stuck out in front like a balloon.1934, James T. Farrell, chapter 13, in The Young Manhood of Studs Lonigan
5. Synonym of starosta
   • Beſides theſe two Gentlemen, and Secretaries that order the whole Citie, there are Staruſts or Aldermen for euerie ſeuerall companie. The Alderman hath his Sotskey or Conſtable, and the Conſtable hath certeine Decetskeis or Decurions vnder him, which haue the ouerſight of ten houſholds a peece...1591, Giles Fletcher, “Of the gouernment of their Prouinces and Shires.” (chapter 10), in Of the Ruſſe Common Wealth. Or, Maner of Gouernement by the Ruſſe Emperour, (commonly called the Emperour of...

   Synonyms:

   starosta

See all 6 meanings of alderman