madder

Etymology 1

From Middle English mader, madere, mædere, from Old English mædere, mæddre, mædre, from Proto-Germanic *madarǭ (compare Swedish madra, Old Norse / Icelandic maðra), from Proto-Indo-European *modʰro-, cognate with Proto-Slavic *modrъ (“blue”), and compare Irish madar (“madder”), Latvian madara (“madder”).

noun

1. A herbaceous plant, Rubia tinctorum, native to Asia, cultivated for a red-purple dye (alizarin) obtained from the root.
2. The root of the plant, used as a medicine or a dye.
3. A dye made from the plant.
4. A deep reddish purple colour, like that of the dye.
   madder:
   Her big head has coloured to a dim and dreadful madder. 1946, Mervyn Peake, Titus Groan

adj

1. Of a deep reddish purple colour, like that of the dye.

verb

1. (transitive, rare) To dye with madder.

Etymology 2

Inflected forms.

adj

1. comparative form of mad: more mad

Etymology 3

From Irish meadar.

noun

1. Obsolete form of mether.
   Usequebaugh to our feast - In pails was brought up, A hundred at least, - And the madder our cup, O there is the sport! […] c.1720 Jonathan Swift (translation from the Irish) "O'Rourke's Feast"

Etymology 4

verb

1. Eye dialect spelling of matter.