Wiktionary

madder

EnglishEdit

 
madder (Rubia tinctorum)
 
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PronunciationEdit

Etymology 1Edit

From Middle English mader, madere, mædere, from Old English mædere, mæddre, mædre, from Proto-Germanic *madarǭ (compare Swedish madra, Old Norse / Icelandic maðra), from Proto-Indo-European *modʰro-, cognate with Proto-Slavic *modrъ (“blue”), and compare Irish madar (“madder”), Latvian madara (“madder”).

NounEdit

madder (countable and uncountable, plural madders)

  1. A herbaceous plant, Rubia tinctorum, native to Asia, cultivated for a red-purple dye (alizarin) obtained from the root.
  2. The root of the plant, used as a medicine or a dye.
  3. A dye made from the plant.
  4. A deep reddish purple colour, like that of the dye.
    madder:  
    • 1946, Mervyn Peake, Titus Groan:
      Her big head has coloured to a dim and dreadful madder.
SynonymsEdit
Derived termsEdit
TranslationsEdit

AdjectiveEdit

madder (not comparable)

  1. Of a deep reddish purple colour, like that of the dye.
TranslationsEdit

See alsoEdit

Etymology 2Edit

Inflected forms.

AdjectiveEdit

madder

  1. comparative form of mad: more mad

Etymology 3Edit

From Irish meadar.

NounEdit

madder (plural madders)

  1. Obsolete form of mether.
    • c.1720 Jonathan Swift (translation from the Irish) "O'Rourke's Feast":
      Usequebaugh to our feast - In pails was brought up,
      A hundred at least, - And the madder our cup,
      O there is the sport! […]

ReferencesEdit

Etymology 4Edit

VerbEdit

madder (third-person singular simple present madders, present participle maddering, simple past and past participle maddered)

  1. Eye dialect spelling of matter.

AnagramsEdit

Middle EnglishEdit

AdjectiveEdit

madder

  1. comparative degree of mad
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