adder

adder
adder (n.) O.E. næddre "a snake, serpent, viper," from W.Gmc. *nædro "a snake" (Cf. O.N. naðra, M.Du. nadre, O.H.G. natra, Ger. Natter, Goth. nadrs), from PIE root *netr- (Cf. L. natrix "water snake," probably by folk-association with nare "to swim;" O.Ir. nathir, Welsh neidr "adder"). The modern form represents a faulty separation 14c.-16c. into an adder, for which see also APRON (Cf. apron), AUGER (Cf. auger), NICKNAME (Cf. nickname), HUMBLE (Cf. humble) pie, UMPIRE (Cf. umpire). Nedder is still a northern English dialect form. Folklore connection with deafness is via Psalm lviii:1-5. The adder is said to stop up its ears to avoid hearing the snake charmer called in to drive it away. Adderbolt (late 15c.) was a former name for "dragonfly."

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Adder — may refer to:Snakes: * Any venomous snake. * Vipera berus , a.k.a. the common European adder, a venomous viper found in Europe and northern Asia. * Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen , a.k.a. the northern copperhead, a venomous viper found in the… …   Wikipedia

  • Adder — Ad der, n. [OE. addere, naddere, eddre, AS. n[ae]dre, adder, snake; akin to OS. nadra, OHG. natra, natara, Ger. natter, Goth. nadrs, Icel. na[eth]r, masc., na[eth]ra, fem.: cf. W. neidr, Gorn. naddyr, Ir. nathair, L. natrix, water snake. An adder …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • adder — ► NOUN ▪ a venomous snake with a dark zigzag pattern on its back. ORIGIN Old English nædre «serpent, adder»; the initial n was lost by wrong division of a naddre …   English terms dictionary

  • adder — adder1 [ad′ər] n. 1. one who adds ☆ 2. an adding machine 3. a computer circuit that performs addition adder2 [ad′ər] n. [ME < nadder (by faulty separation of a nadder) < OE nædre < IE base * nətr, *nētr > L natrix, watersnake] …   English World dictionary

  • Adder — Add er, n. [See {Add}.] One who, or that which, adds; esp., a machine for adding numbers. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Adder — Adder, ist Pelias berus, s. u. Vipern …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

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  • adder — adder1 /ad euhr/, n. 1. the common European viper, Vipera berus. 2. any of various other venomous or harmless snakes resembling the viper. [bef. 950; late ME; r. ME nadder (a nadder becoming an adder by misdivision; cf. APRON), OE naeddre; c. OS… …   Universalium

  • adder — I (New American Roget s College Thesaurus) n. puff adder, viper. II (Roget s IV) n. Syn. viper, asp, snake. Adders include: European, spotted, puff adder, hognose snake, dwarf puff, night adder, milk adder, milk snake; see also snake …   English dictionary for students

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