gladder

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English gladere, from Old English glædra (adj), glador (adverb), comparative of glæd (“glad, shining, bright”). More at glad.

Adjective

gladder

1. comparative form of glad: more glad

Etymology 2

From gladder (“one who makes glad”), or perhaps from Middle English *gladderen, from Old English *gladrian (“to make glad”), equivalent to glad +‎ -er (“fequentative suffix”).

Verb

gladder (third-person singular simple present gladders, present participle gladdering, simple past and past participle gladdered)

1. (nonstandard, proscribed, rare) Misspelling of gladden.
   • 1909, Country Correspondence, Political Department, 1800-[1804]:

     Under the auspicious influence of the Company's just and equitable administration, the face of this province is gladdered [Sic-]—the blossoms of Peace are blowing and the blessings of tranquility increasing daily [...]

   • 2006, Pūrana Siṅgha, Sāhitya Akādemī, The knock at midnight:

     The light of snow has gladdered the heart [...]

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Middle English

Etymology

From Old English *gladere (“gladder”), from gladian (“to make glad”).

Noun

gladder (plural gladders)

1. One who makes glad or gives joy.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Chaucer to this entry?)

Part or all of this entry has been imported from the 1913 edition of Webster’s Dictionary, which is now free of copyright and hence in the public domain. The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.
(See the entry for gladder in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.)