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madder

 - 10 dictionary results
Madder
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mad⋅der

1  [mad-er]
Use madder in a Sentence
–noun
1. any plant of the genus Rubia, esp. 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.
3. the dye or coloring matter itself.
4. a color produced by such a dye.
Origin:
bef. 1000; ME mad(d)er, OE mæd(e)re; c. ON mathra, OHG matara
Madder
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mad⋅der

2  [mad-er]
–adjective
comparative of mad.

mad

  [mad] adjective, mad⋅der, mad⋅dest, noun, verb, mad⋅ded, mad⋅ding.
–adjective
1. mentally disturbed; deranged; insane; demented.
2. enraged; greatly provoked or irritated; angry.
3. (of animals)
a. abnormally furious; ferocious: a mad bull.
b. affected with rabies; rabid: a mad dog.
4. extremely foolish or unwise; imprudent; irrational: a mad scheme to invade France.
5. wildly excited or confused: frantic: mad haste.
6. overcome by desire, eagerness, enthusiasm, etc.; excessively or uncontrollably fond; infatuated: He's mad about the opera.
7. wildly gay or merry; enjoyably hilarious: to have a mad time at the Mardi Gras.
8. (of wind, storms, etc.) furious in violence: A mad gale swept across the channel.
–noun
9. an angry or ill-tempered period, mood, or spell: The last time he had a mad on, it lasted for days.
–verb (used with object)
10. Archaic. to make mad.
–verb (used without object)
11. Archaic. to be, become, or act mad.
—Idioms
12. like mad, Informal. with great haste, impulsiveness, energy, or enthusiasm: She ran like mad to catch the bus.
13. mad as a hatter, completely insane.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME mad (adj.), madden (intrans. v., deriv. of the adj.); OE gemǣd(e)d, ptp. of *gemǣdan to make mad, akin to gemād mad, foolish; c. OS gemēd, OHG gimeit foolish

Synonyms:
1. lunatic, maniacal, crazed, crazy. 2. furious, exasperated, raging, wrathful, irate. 4. ill-advised; unsafe, dangerous, perilous. Mad, crazy, insane are used to characterize wildly impractical or foolish ideas, actions, etc. Mad suggests senselessness and excess: The scheme of buying the bridge was absolutely mad. In informal usage, crazy suggests recklessness and impracticality: a crazy young couple. Insane is used with some opprobrium to express unsoundness and possible harmfulness: The new traffic system is simply insane. 5. frenzied.

Antonyms:
4. sensible, practical; sound, safe.

Usage note:
Mad meaning “enraged, angry” has been used since 1300, and this sense is a very common one. Because some teachers and usage critics insist that the only correct meaning of mad is “mentally disturbed, insane,” mad is often replaced by angry in formal contexts: The President is angry at Congress for overriding his veto.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To madder
mad   (mād)   
adj.   mad·der, mad·dest

  1. Angry; resentful. See Synonyms at angry.

  2. Suffering from a disorder of the mind; insane.

  3. Temporarily or apparently deranged by violent sensations, emotions, or ideas: mad with jealousy.

  4. Lacking restraint or reason; foolish: I was mad to have hired her in the first place.

  5. Feeling or showing strong liking or enthusiasm: mad about sports.

  6. Marked by extreme excitement, confusion, or agitation; frantic: a mad scramble for the bus.

  7. Boisterously gay; hilarious: had a mad time.

  8. Affected by rabies; rabid.

tr. & intr.v.   mad·ded, mad·ding, mads
To make or become mad; madden.

[Middle English, from Old English gemǣdde, past participle of *gemǣdan, to madden, from gemād, insane; see mei-1 in Indo-European roots.]
mad'dish adj.
mad·der   (mād'ər)   
n.  

    1. A southwest Asian perennial plant (Rubia tinctorum) having small yellow flowers, whorled leaves, and a red root.

    2. The root of this plant, formerly an important source of the dye alizarin.

    3. A red dye obtained from the roots of this plant.

  2. A medium to strong red or reddish orange.


[Middle English, from Old English mædere.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

mad 
O.E. gemædde (pl.) "out of one's mind" (usually implying also violent excitement), also "foolish," earlier gemæded "rendered insane," pp. of a lost verb *gemædan "to make insane or foolish" (related to gemad "mad"), from P.Gmc. *ga-maid-jan, demonstrative form of *ga-maid-az "changed (for the worse), abnormal" (cf. O.S. gimed "foolish," O.H.G. gimeit "foolish, vain, boastful," Goth. gamaiþs "crippled, wounded," O.N. meiða "to hurt, maim"), from intensive prefix *ga- + PIE *moito-, pp. of base *mei- "to change" (cf. L. mutare "to change," mutuus "done in exchange," migrare "to change one's place of residence;" see mutable). Emerged in M.E. to replace the more usual O.E. word, wod. Sense of "beside oneself with excitement or enthusiasm" is from c.1330. Meaning "beside oneself with anger" is attested from c.1300, but deplored by Rev. John Witherspoon (1781) as an Americanism, and now competes in Amer.Eng. with angry for this sense. Of dogs, "affected with rabies," from 1800. Madcap (n. and adj.) is from 1588; madhouse is from 1687. Phrase mad as a March hare is attested from 1529, via notion of breeding season; mad as a hatter (1857) is said to be from erratic behavior caused by prolonged exposure to poison mercuric nitrate, used in making felt hats. Mad as a wet hen is from 1823. Mad money is attested from 1922; mad scientist is from 1940.

madder  (n.)
O.E. mædere "plant used for making dyes," from PIE *modhro- "dye plant" (cf. O.N. maðra, O.H.G. matara "madder," Pol. modry, Czech modry "blue").
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: mad
Pronunciation: 'mad
Function: adjective
Inflected Forms: mad·der; mad·dest
1 : arising from,indicative of, or marked by mental disorder
2 : affected with rabies : RABID

Main Entry: mad·der
Pronunciation: 'mad-&r
Function: noun
1 : a Eurasian herb (Rubia tinctorum of the family Rubiaceae, the madderfamily) with whorled leaves and small yellowish panicled flowers succeeded by berries; broadly : any of several related herbs (genus Rubia)
2 : the root ofthe Eurasian madder used formerly in dyeing; also : an alizarin dye prepared from it
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

mad (mād)
adj.

  1. Angry; resentful.

  2. Suffering from a disorder of the mind; insane.

  3. Affected by rabies; rabid.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
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