# madder

Pronunciation: US say "MAD-ur" /ˈmæd.ɚ/; UK say "MAD-uh" /ˈmæd.ə(ɹ)/

## Adjective

1. Comparative form of mad. — comparative form of mad: more mad
   - Simple: Comparative form of mad. Use this when comparing how angry or how crazy two things or people are.
   - _The crowd grew madder as the referee kept ignoring the foul._
   - _He was far madder about the lie than about the mistake itself._
5. Of a deep reddish purple color, resembling the dye obtained from the madder plant.
   - Simple: Having a deep reddish purple color, like the dye from the madder plant.
   - _The walls were painted a madder shade that warmed the room._
   - _He admired the madder tones in the antique tapestry._

## Noun

2. A herbaceous plant native to Asia, Rubia tinctorum, cultivated for the red-purple dye (alizarin) extracted from its roots.
   - Simple: A leafy plant from Asia whose roots give a red-purple dye.
   - _The dyer's garden was full of madder, harvested each fall for its roots._
   - _Cultivated madder spread westward from Asia along ancient trade routes._
3. A reddish dye extracted from the roots of the madder plant.
   - Simple: A red dye that comes from the root of the madder plant.
   - _Weavers dyed the yarn with madder before knotting the rug._
   - _Madder produces a range of reds depending on the mordant used._
4. A deep reddish color, like that of the dye obtained from the madder plant.
   - Simple: A deep red color, like the dye made from the madder plant.
   - _The artist mixed a rich madder for the robes in the portrait._
   - _Faded to a dull madder, the old curtains had lost their glow._
6. The root of the madder plant, used as a dye or as a medicine.
   - Simple: The root of the madder plant, used to make dye or medicine.
   - _The apothecary kept jars of dried madder for treating ailments._
   - _Crushed madder released a deep red pigment when soaked in water._

## Verb

7. Eye dialect spelling of matter. — Eye dialect spelling of matter.
   - Simple: Eye dialect spelling of matter. It shows in writing how someone might say "matter" in casual or regional speech.
   - _"It don't madder what you wear to the dance," she told him._
   - _"Nothin' you say will madder to him now," the old man warned._

## Verb

8. To dye fabric or yarn using the red dye obtained from the madder plant. *(rare)*
   - Simple: To color cloth or yarn red using the dye from the madder plant.
   - _Craftsmen madder the yarn to give it a lasting red._
   - _The guild maddered every bolt of cloth sold at the fair._

## Noun

9. Obsolete form of mether. *(obsolete, Ireland)* — Obsolete form of mether.
   - Simple: Obsolete form of mether. An old word for a kind of square wooden drinking cup.

## Origin

**Meanings 2–6, 8** — From Middle English mader, from Old English mædere, from Proto-Germanic *madarǭ (compare Swedish madra and Old Norse maðra), from Proto-Indo-European *modʰro-, related to a Proto-Slavic word meaning "blue" and to Irish madar and Latvian madara ("madder").
**Meaning 1** — Inflected forms.
**Meaning 9** — From Irish meadar.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/madder (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).