madderwort
9.9
A plant, often a shrub or vine, whose roots make a red dye
- noun
- /ˈmædərˌwɔrt/
- Specialized
:
rubia
- The roots of the madderwort were used to produce a red dye for textiles.
Examples
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The madderwort plant is known for its vibrant red dye.
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Botanists discovered a rare species of madderwort in the rainforest.
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Several herbal remedies contain extracts from madderwort plants.
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Farmers often grow madderworts for their dyeing properties.
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The roots of the madderwort were used to produce a red dye for textiles.
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Several herbal remedies contain extracts from madderwort plants.
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Farmers often grow madderwort for its dyeing properties.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A plant from Europe and Asia with red roots used to make red dye
is a broader term for related species whose roots serve as dye sources
Surface Forms
madderwort singular
madderworts plural
Morphology
Etymology
Madderwort comes from two parts: madder, the name of a plant used for a 'red dye', and wort, an old word meaning 'plant' seen in names like St. John's wort. So, madderwort is simply the 'madder' plant whose roots were used to make a 'red dye'.