Madder Definition

mădər
noun
Any of a genus (Rubia) of plants of the madder family, with petals fused to form a funnel-shaped corolla; esp., a perennial vine (R. tinctorum) with panicles of small, yellow flowers.
Webster's New World
The red root of this vine.
Webster's New World
The root of R. tinctorum, formerly an important source of the dye alizarin.
American Heritage
A red dye made from this.
Webster's New World
Bright red; crimson.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
  • Rubia tinctorum
adjective
Designating a family (Rubiaceae, order Rubiales) of chiefly tropical, dicotyledonous herbs, shrubs, and trees, including bedstraw, bluet, coffee, and cinchona.
Webster's New World
Webster's New World
Of a deep reddish purple colour, like that of the dye.
Wiktionary
Synonyms:
  • wilder
  • crazier
  • angrier
  • sorer
  • dafter
  • off
  • dottier
  • nuttier
  • battier
  • loonier
  • screwier
  • wackier
  • buggier
  • fruitier
  • sillier
Antonyms:

Other Word Forms of Madder

Noun

Singular:
madder
Plural:
madders

Origin of Madder

  • Old English mæddre, mædre, from Germanic, perhaps from an Indo-European base meaning "blue." Cognate with Swedish madra.

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English from Old English mædere

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Inflected forms.

    From Wiktionary

  • From mead

    From Wiktionary

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