Illustration of madder
- madder 1
madder
noun
mad·der ˈma-dər 
1
: a Eurasian herb (Rubia tinctorum of the family Rubiaceae, the madder family) with whorled leaves and small yellowish panicled flowers succeeded by dark berries
broadly : any of several related herbs (genus Rubia)
2
a
: the root of the Eurasian madder used formerly in dyeing
also : an alizarin dye prepared from it
b
: a moderate to strong red
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Old English mædere; akin to Old High German matara madder
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Medical Definition
madder
noun
mad·der ˈmad-ər
1
: a Eurasian herb (Rubia tinctorum of the family Rubiaceae, the madder family) with whorled leaves, clusters of small yellowish flowers, and red to black berries
broadly : any of several related herbs (genus Rubia)
2
: the root of the Eurasian madder formerly used in dyeing
also : an alizarin dye prepared from it
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