madder

1
[ mad-er ]

noun
  1. any plant of the genus Rubia, especially the climbing R. tinctorum, of Europe, having open clusters of small, yellowish flowers.: Compare madder family.

  2. the root of this plant, formerly used in dyeing.

  1. the dye or coloring matter itself.

  2. a color produced by such a dye.

Origin of madder

1
before 1000; Middle English mad(d)er,Old English mæd(e)re; cognate with Old Norse mathra,Old High German matara

Words Nearby madder

Other definitions for madder (2 of 2)

madder2
[ mad-er ]

adjective
  1. comparative of mad.

Words that may be confused with madder

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use madder in a sentence

  • Jack asked a little sharply, and Howard replied, "No, sir; she was madder than a hatter; you've no cause to be jealous."

    The Cromptons | Mary J. Holmes
  • So he rode before the host with his forty knights, no spirit madder than he,—a very St. George when he fell upon the Moslems.

    God Wills It! | William Stearns Davis
  • Nonie's cheeks were scarlet; she was getting madder and madder with every word she said.

    We Ten | Lyda Farrington Kraus
  • Mis Betsy wud pitch in en say things that made 'em madder en madder.

  • She was a poor, mad creature that I met in my wandering—even madder than myself, perhaps, for I remember it all distinctly.

    A Dreadful Temptation | Mrs. Alex. McVeigh Miller

British Dictionary definitions for madder (1 of 2)

madder1

/ (ˈmædə) /


noun
  1. any of several rubiaceous plants of the genus Rubia, esp the Eurasian R. tinctoria, which has small yellow flowers and a red fleshy root

  2. the root of this plant

  1. a dark reddish-purple dye formerly obtained by fermentation of this root; identical to the synthetic dye, alizarin

  2. a red lake obtained from alizarin and an inorganic base; used as a pigment in inks and paints

Origin of madder

1
Old English mædere; related to Middle Dutch mēde, Old Norse mathra

British Dictionary definitions for madder (2 of 2)

madder2

/ (ˈmædə) /


adjective
  1. the comparative of mad

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012