Forms: 1–2 nædre, næddre, 3 nadre, 3–4 naddre, 4–5 nadder; 1–4 nedre, 2–4 neddre, 3–4 neddere, 3–7 nedder, 4–5 -ir, 5 -yr; 4 eddre, eddere, 4–5 eddyre, 5 eddyr, -ur, 5–6 -ir, 5–7 -er; 4 addre, 5– adder. Sc. 6 ather. Pl. adders; formerly 1 nædran; 2–4 nedren, neddren, naddren, addren; 3 nedres, neddres, -is; 4–5 eddres, addres. [OE. nædre, cogn. w. OLG. nadra, OHG. natra, natara, ON. naðra, naðr, Goth. nadrs. The initial n was lost in ME. 1300–1500, through the erroneous division of a naddre, as an addre. Nedder is still a north. dial. form. The Lindisf. Gosp. gloss has cyn ætterna ‘brood of venomous ones,’ for OE. nædrena cynn, but there is nowhere any form-confusion between nædre serpent and ætter venom; though, from meaning serpent generically, the word has gradually been restricted in Britain to the native viper, and its supposed foreign congeners.]
† 1. A serpent; the generic name in OE. fig. The ‘old serpent,’ the devil. Obs.
c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., Matt. xxiii. 33. Nedra, cynn ætterna!
c. 975. Rushw. ibid. Ȝe nedra, cynn uiperana!
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp. ibid. Eala ʓe næddran [v.r. nædran] and næddrena [v.r. nædryna] cynn, hu fléo ʓe fram helle dome?
c. 1160. Hatton Gosp., ibid. Eale ʓe næddra & næddrena kyn! Ibid., John iii. 14. Swa swa Moises þa neddre up á-hof [Ags. Gosp. Þa næddran v.r. nædran, Lind. ða nédræ, Rushw. ða nedre].
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 53. Witeð eow þet ȝe ne beo noht þe foaȝe neddre ne þe blake tadde. Ibid. Nedre haueð niþ and onde.
c. 1200. Moral Ode, 277, in Trin. Coll. Hom., 228. Þar beð naddren and snaken, eueten and fruden.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 323. Eue, seide he, ðat neddre bold.
c. 1300. Cursor Mundi, 758. Þe nedder nerhand hir gun draw.
1340. Ayenb., 61. Hi resembleþ an eddre þet hatte serayn.
1366. Maundevile, 205. Thei maken a maner of hissynge, as a neddre dothe.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. xviii. 352. Lucyfer in lyknesse Of a luther addere.
1382. Wyclif, Gen. iii. 4. Forsothe the eddre seide to the woman [1388 serpent].
c. 1386. Chaucer, Persones T., 257. Dedly synne hath first suggestioun of the feend, as scheweth here by the neddir [v.r. naddere, adder, Hadder].
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 135. Eddyr or neddyr, wyrme: Serpens.
c. 1440. Morte Arthur (1819), 108. An edder glode forth upon the grownde … To kylle the adder had he thoghte.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., Annunc., 72. [Adam] begyled was Thrugh the edder.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, II. iv. 8. Throw the still sey from Tenedos in feir Lo twa gret lowpit ederis with mony thraw Fast throw the fluide towart the land can draw.
† b. By extension, A dragon, i.e., a supposed serpent with wings. Obs.
c. 1300. K. Alis., 5262. Grete addren comen flynge.
1366. Maundev., 27. There fleyghe out an Eddere righte hidous to see.
2. A small venomous serpent or snake; a viper. spec. The Common Viper (Pelias Berus): the historical and popular name, retaining the old associations, as the ideas of darting and stinging, not associated with the name viper.
1154. O. E. Chron. (Laud. MS.), an. 1137. Hi dyden heom in quarterne þar nadres & snakes & pades wæron inne.
1297. R. Glouc., 43. Nedre ny oþer wormes ne mow þer [Ireland] be noȝt.
c. 1315. Shoreham, 104. So doth the naddre stinge.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Marchantes T., 542. Lyk to the naddre in bosom sly vntrewe [v.r. neddre, neddere, nadder, Petw. adder].
1387. Trevisa, Higden, Rolls Ser. I. 303. Þe ilond Sardinia … haþ noþer addres noþer venym, but þey haue an herbe þat hatte apium, þat makeþ men laughe hem selue to deþ.
c. 1425. Wyntown, Cron., I. xiii. 55. Ðare [in Irland] nakyn best of wenym may lyue or lest atoure a day; As Ask, or Eddyre, Tade or Pade.
1501. Douglas, Palice of Honour, II. xxiv. (1787), 43. A vennomous ather and a serpent fell.
1535. Coverdale, Prov. xxiii. 32. It byteth like a serpent [Wyclif eddere], and styngeth as an Adder [Wyclif kokatrice].
1601. Shaks., Jul. Cæs., II. i. 14. It is the bright day, that brings forth the Adder, And that craues warie walking.
1642. Milton, Apol. for Smect. (1851), 291. Stung with Adders, and Scorpions.
1674. Ray, N. C. Words, 146. A Nedder. Coluber, Anguis.
1719. Young, Revenge, I. i. (1757), II. 107. Has the dark adder venom? So have I, When trod upon.
1810. Scott, Lady of Lake, V. xvi. Like adder darting from its coil.
1814. Cary, Dante’s Inferno, xxiv. 96. Near to our side, darted an adder up.
1816. Scott, Old Mort., 132. A pang which resembled the sting of an adder.
b. By extension, Applied in the Bible and classical translations to various poisonous snakes, as the asp, basilisk, cockatrice, ‘deaf adder,’ etc. In mod. Zoology to species of Clotho and other Viperidæ, as the Puff Adder and Horned Adder of Africa, Death Adder of N. Australia, etc.
a. 1300. E. E. Psalter lviii. 54. Als of a neddre def als-swa Þat stoppand es his eres twa.
1483. Cathol. Ang. A Neddyr. Hec Aspis, hec lacerta, hic stellio, hic bisilliscus, hoc cicadrillus.
1611. Bible, Ps. lviii. 4. They are like the deafe adder [marg. or aspe] that stoppeth her eare.
3. Flying Adder, a widely diffused popular name of the Dragon-fly, used from Scotland to the Isle of Wight; also called Adder-fly and Adder-bolt.
4. Sea Adder, a species of pipe-fish Syngnathus acus.
5. Comb. adder-bead, an amulet or ornament of prehistoric age, attributed to the Druids; adder-bred a., engendered of the serpent (or devil); adder-close, applied by W. Morris to the enclosure in which Rognar Lodbrok was said to be stung to death; adder-deaf a. deaf as an adder, see ADDER 2 b; adder-fly, a dragon-fly; adder-footed a. poet. dragon-footed; adder-hate poet. virulent, deadly hate; adder-like a., like an adder; also obs. of or pertaining to an adder, viperine; adder-pike, the sting-fish, or lesser weaver (Trachinus Vipera); adder-stone = adder-bead; adders’ fry, obs., brood of vipers; adder’s-meat, pop. name of the Greater Stitchwort; adder’s-mouth, name given in U.S. to plants of genus Microstylis; adder’s-spear = ADDER’S-TONGUE.
1699. E. Lhwyd, in Phil. Trans., XXVIII. 98. The Snake-button is the same described in the Notes on Denbighshire in Camden, by the Name of Adder-Beads.
1587. Golding, De Mornay, xvii. 271. This Diuell which hath marred … ye whole earth was a Serpent, (whom he called ὀφιογενῆ or ὀφιόνιον (?), that is to say, Snakebread or Adderbread,) which armeth men by whole troopes against God.
1870. Morris, Earthly Par., III. IV. 85. When song arose From that Northumbrian adder-close.
a. 1837. Campbell, Power of Russia, i. 7, Wks. 1837, 227. O heartless men of Europe—Goth and Gaul Cold, adder-deaf to Poland’s dying shriek.
1593. Golding, Ovid’s Metam., I. 6. When with there hundred hands a peece the Adder-footed rout Did practise for to conquer heaven.
1880. Contemp. Rev., March, 431. Hated with the adder-hate of fear.
1611. Cotgr., Couleuvrin … adderlike, of an adder.
1814. Byron, Corsair, I. xiv. Worm-like ’twas trampled—adder-like avenged.
1851. D. Wilson, Preh. Annals, II. III. iv. 126. The Adder Stone is thought by superstitious people to possess many wonderful properties.
1540. in Strype, Eccl. Mem., VI. 232. You serpents, adders-fry, how wil ye escape the judgment of God?
1861. Pratt, Flowering Plants, I. 245. Greater Stitch-wort, Satin-flower, or Adder’s Meat.
1864. T. Moore, Brit. Ferns, 17. The common Adder’s-tongue is gathered by country-people for the preparation of adder’s-spear ointment.
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