Madderwort
/ˈmædərwɜːrt/noun
A plant of the madder family, especially dyer's madder, valued historically for its red dye-producing roots.
Did you know?Madder roots contain alizarin, a powerful red pigment used for centuries in textiles and historically associated with the vivid “Turkey red” dye.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
Proto-Germanic
*matrōn / *mad(r)ōn
“A reconstructed name for the madder plant, probably referring to its dye-producing root; the ultimate origin is uncertain.”
Old English
Old English
mædere
“Madder, the plant whose roots produced a red dye.”
Old English
Old English
wyrt
“Plant, herb, or root; the ancestor of modern English wort.”
Middle English
Middle English
mader
“Madder, especially the dye plant.”
Late Middle English
English
madder-wort
“Literally “madder plant” or “madder herb,” formed by combining madder with wort.”
Modern English
English
madderwort
“A name for madder or a related plant of the madder family.”