adder

1
[ ad-er ]
/ ˈæd ər /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR adder ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the common European viper, Vipera berus.
any of various other venomous or harmless snakes resembling the viper.

Origin of adder

1
before 950; late Middle English; replacing Middle English nadder ( a nadder becoming an adder by misdivision; cf. apron), Old English næddre; cognate with Old Saxon nādra, Old High German nātara (German Natter), Old Norse nathra snake, Gothic nadrs adder, Old Irish nathir snake, Latin natrix water snake

Words nearby adder

added title page, added-value tax, addend, addenda, addendum, adder, adder's-meat, adder's-mouth, adder's-tongue, adderall, adderley

Definition for adder (2 of 2)

adder 2
[ ad-er ]
/ ˈæd ər /

noun

a person or thing that adds.

Origin of adder

2
First recorded in 1570–80; add + -er1

Words related to adder

cobra, rattle, snake, copperhead, asp

Example sentences from the Web for adder

British Dictionary definitions for adder (1 of 2)

adder 1
/ (ˈædə) /

noun

Also called: viper a common viper, Vipera berus, that is widely distributed in Europe, including Britain, and Asia and is typically dark greyish in colour with a black zigzag pattern along the back
any of various similar venomous or nonvenomous snakes
See also death adder, puff adder

Word Origin for adder

Old English nǣdre snake; in Middle English a naddre was mistaken for an addre; related to Old Norse nathr, Gothic nadrs

British Dictionary definitions for adder (2 of 2)

adder 2
/ (ˈædə) /

noun

a person or thing that adds, esp a single element of an electronic computer, the function of which is to add a single digit of each of two inputs