madder

noun mad·der \ ˈma-dər \

Updated on: 6 Apr 2018

Definition of madder

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

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Recent Examples of madder from the Web

Photo: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images The only thing madder than a down-to-the-wire upset by the tournament’s internationally beloved team was another thrilling upset in the next game.

— andrew beaton, WSJ, "Loyola-Chicago Is No Longer the Underdog," 23 Mar. 2018
Names like toluidine toner, byaku gunjo, madder lake, maple soot, and dragon’s blood (speaking of Hogwarts) are as beautiful as the pigments that bear them.

— mark feeney, BostonGlobe.com, "Coloring our world, from cave paintings to today," 15 Mar. 2018
The vibrant purple of the woman’s robe, for example, was created with madder lake, a natural pigment that was widely used to dye textiles.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "How 21st-Century Technology Is Shedding Light on a 2nd-Century Egyptian Painting," 26 Dec. 2017
Over the centuries, popular plants used for dyes included indigo, madder and saffron.

— kim cook, The Denver Post, "Planting a natural dye garden can be easy and inexpensive," 26 May 2017
And the national attention focused on him in the wake of killing Booth drove him madder still.

— j. d. daniels, Esquire, "The Rollicking 2,000-Mile Route to America's Psychotic Core," 4 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'madder.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Illustration of madder

Origin and Etymology of madder

Middle English, from Old English mædere; akin to Old High German matara madder

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Seed Plant Terms

aubergine, box, bramble, briar, composite, perpetual, pulse, trefoil

Medical Dictionary

madder

noun mad·der \ ˈmad-ər \

medical Definition of madder

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