madder

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English

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madder (Rubia tinctorum)
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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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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).

Noun

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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 colour, like that of the dye.
    madder:  
    • 1946, Mervyn Peake, Titus Groan:
      Her big head has coloured to a dim and dreadful madder.
Synonyms
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Derived terms
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Translations
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Adjective

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madder (not comparable)

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

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

  1. (transitive, rare) To dye with madder.

See also

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Etymology 2

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Inflected forms.

Adjective

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madder

  1. comparative form of mad: more mad

Etymology 3

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From Irish meadar.

Noun

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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! []

References

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Etymology 4

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Verb

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

  1. Eye dialect spelling of matter.

Anagrams

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Middle English

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Adjective

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madder

  1. comparative degree of mad