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adder
(ædəʳ)
Word forms: plural adders
countable noun
In Europe and Asia, an adder is a small poisonous snake that has a black pattern on its back. In North America, a number of different poisonous and non-poisonous snakes are called adders.
adder in British English 1
(ˈædə)
noun
See also death adder, puff adder1. 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
2.
any of various similar venomous or nonvenomous snakes
Word origin
Old English nǣdre snake; in Middle English a naddre was mistaken for an addre; related to Old Norse nathr, Gothic nadrsadder in British English 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
adder in American English 1
(ˈædər)
noun
1.
one who adds
2. US
an adding machine
3.
a computer circuit that performs addition
adder in American English 2
(ˈædər)
noun
1.
a small, poisonous snake of Europe; common viper (Vipera berus)
2.
any of various other snakes, as the poisonous puff adder of Africa or the harmless milk snake of North America
Word origin
ME < nadder (by faulty separation of a nadder) < OE nædre < IE base *nətr, *nētr > L natrix, watersnakeImage ofadder
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