alderman

plural aldermen

1. A member of a municipal legislative body in a city or town.

   1 more example

   Humanity, contemplating the numerous munificent actions of this Corporation, cherishes a hope, that, in the anniversary revolution of the great City Officers, some Alderman or Sheriff may possess the patriotism and courage of effecting substantial good, to the accomplishment of which great mental exertion is requisite.

   1812 January 1, John Coakley Lettsom, “Letter LXXIII. On Prisons.”, in The Gentleman’s Magazine: and Historical Chronicle, volume LXXXII (V, New Series), part I, London: […] Nichols, Son, and Bentley, […], →OCLC, page 34, column 2

2. UKhistoricalobsoleteslangA 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

   1 more example

   Half-a-crown is known as an alderman, half a bull, half a tusheroon, and a madza caroon; whilst a crown piece, or five shillings, may be called either a bull, or a caroon, or a cartwheel, or a coachwheel, or a thick-un, or a tusheroon.

   [1859, J. C. Hotten, A Dictionary of Modern Slang, Cant, and Vulgar Words

3. lifestyleA 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. USslangA 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.

   The chief man of a vollost is a Zasidatil; the chief man of a village is a Starosta, or alderman.

   1883, John Croumbie Brown, Finland: Its Forests and Forest Management, Edinburgh · London · Montreal: Oliver and Boyd · Simpkin, Marshall, & Co. and William Rider & Son · Dawson Brothers, Preface, page x

   4 more examples

   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, whereby euerie diſorder is ſooner ſpide, and the common ſeruice hath the quicker diſpach. The whole number of Citizens poore and rich are reduced into companies. The chiefe officers (as the Dyacks and Gentlemen) are appointed by the Emperour himſelfe, the Staruſt by the Gentlemen and Dyacks, the Sotskoy by the Staruſt or Alderman, and the Decetskotes by the Conſtables.

   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 Moskouia) with the manners, and faſhions of the people of that Countrey., London: Thomas Charde, fol. 33𐞩, lines 7–23

   Both the Council and the Department are presided over by a District Alderman (starosta) nominated by the Ministry of the Interior, and performing a series of purely administrative duties.

   1925, Francis Bauer Czarnomski, editor, The Polish Handbook 1925: A Guide to the Country and Resources of the Republic of Poland, London: Eyre and Spottiswoode, Ltd., His Majesty’s Printers, II. Local Government in Poland, 3. District Self-Government, (a) In former German Provinces, page 46

   The family name of a person is but rarely used and sometimes it is almost ignored, people being addressed and spoken of by the name of the farm to which they belong. The family names represented in the village are either derived from Christian names: Filip (Philip), Janacek (Jacky): or they designate a position or occupation: Pohúnek (farm-apprentice), Starosta (alderman), Dráb (constable), or they are borrowed from natural history: Zízala (dew-worm), Skvor (earwig), Vosicky (aspen-tree).

   1926 May–August, Ladislav Jonáš, “A Bohemian Village” (pages 195–206), in Benjamin George Hardingham, Bernard Theodore Martyn Hebert, Edith Irene Hebert (née Doughty), Margaret Tatton, editors, Observation: A magazine for those who would see & observe “the glory, jest and riddle of the world.”, Part 8 (4th Part of Vol. II)., Broad Street, Oxford: Basil Blackwell, published December 1926, page 200

   Sometimes envoys, noblemen (dvorjane), summoners (podvojskie), aldermen (starosty), and merchants also appear under their first name only: for example, the dvorjane Stepanko and Ivanko (Doc. No. †92, dated 1400/25), the podvojskie Olferei and Feodor (Doc. No. 327, 15th c.), the starosta Vasilʹ (Doc. No. †922, 15th c.), the kupcy Makarьja, Oksentei and Grigorьja (Doc. No. †56, before 1417).

   1959, Astrid Bæcklund, Personal Names in Medieval Velikij Novgorod. I. Common Names (Acta Universitatis Stockholmiensis; IX), Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksell, page 49

   Synonyms: starosta

plural Aldermans

1. An English surname originating as an occupation.