Adder

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: add=er

CIDE DICTIONARY

Adder, n. [See Add.].

 One who, or that which, adds; esp., a machine for adding numbers.  [1913 Webster]

Adder, n. [OE. addere, naddere, eddre, AS. nædre, adder, snake; akin to OS. nadra, OHG. natra, natara, Ger. natter, Goth. nadrs, Icel. na&edh;r, masc., na&edh;ra, fem.: cf. W. neidr, Gorn. naddyr, Ir. nathair, L. natrix, water snake. An adder is for a nadder.].

•  A serpent.  Wyclif. Gen. iii. 4. )  [1913 Webster]
•  A small venomous serpent of the genus Vipera. The common European adder is the Vipera berus or Pelias berus. The puff adders of Africa are species of Clotho.  [1913 Webster]

  " In the sculptures the appellation is given to several venomous serpents, -- sometimes to the horned viper (Cerastles)."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Adder, n. any of various small venomous snakes, esp. the common viper, Vipera berus, the only poisonous snake in Great Britain.

Idiom

adder's tongue any fern of the genus Ophioglossum.

Etymology

OE n{aelig}dre: n lost in ME by wrong division of a naddre: cf. APRON, AUGER, UMPIRE

DEVIL DICTIONARY

Adder

n. A species of snake. So called from its habit of adding funeral outlays to the other expenses of living.

ROGET THESAURUS

Adder

Evil doer

N evil doer, evil worker, wrongdoer, mischief-maker, marplot, oppressor, tyrant, destroyer, Vandal, iconoclast, firebrand, incendiary, fire bug, pyromaniac, anarchist, communist, terrorist, savage, brute, ruffian, barbarian, semibarbarian, caitiff, desperado, Apache, hoodlum, hood, plug-ugly, Red Skin, tough, Mohawk, Mo-hock, Mo-hawk, bludgeon man, bully, rough, hooligan, larrikin, dangerous classes, ugly customer, thief, cockatrice, scorpion, hornet, snake, viper, adder, snake in the grass, serpent, cobra, asp, rattlesnake, anaconda, canker-worm, wire-worm, locust, Colorado beetle, alacran, alligator, caymon, crocodile, mosquito, mugger, octopus, torpedo, bane, cutthroat, cannibal, anthropophagus, anthropophagist, bloodsucker, vampire, ogre, ghoul, gorilla, vulture, gyrfalcon, gerfalcon, wild beast, tiger, hyena, butcher, hangman, blood-hound, hell- hound, sleuth-hound, catamount, cougar, jaguar, puma, hag, hellhag, beldam, Jezebel, monster, fiend, devil incarnate, demon in human shape, Frankenstein's monster, harpy, siren, Furies, Eumenides, Hun, Attila, scourge of the human race, faenum habet in cornu.