Adder

5 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Adder \Add"er\, n. [See {Add}.]
     One who, or that which, adds; esp., a machine for adding
     numbers.
     [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:



  Adder \Ad"der\, n. [OE. addere, naddere, eddre, AS. n[ae]dre,
     adder, snake; akin to OS. nadra, OHG. natra, natara, Ger.
     natter, Goth. nadrs, Icel. na[eth]r, masc., na[eth]ra, fem.:
     cf. W. neidr, Gorn. naddyr, Ir. nathair, L. natrix, water
     snake. An adder is for a nadder.]
     1. A serpent. [Obs.] "The eddre seide to the woman."
        --Wyclif. Gen. iii. 4. )
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Zool.)
        (a) 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}.
        (b) In America, the term is commonly applied to several
            harmless snakes, as the {milk adder}, {puffing adder},
            etc.
        (c) Same as {Sea Adder}.
            [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: In the sculptures the appellation is given to several
           venomous serpents, -- sometimes to the horned viper
           ({Cerastles}).
           [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  adder
       n 1: a person who adds numbers
       2: a machine that adds numbers
       3: small terrestrial viper common in northern Eurasia [syn: {common
          viper}, {Vipera berus}]

From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:

  Adder
     (Ps. 140:3; Rom. 3:13, "asp") is the rendering of, (1.) Akshub
     ("coiling" or "lying in wait"), properly an asp or viper, found
     only in this passage. (2.) Pethen ("twisting"), a viper or
     venomous serpent identified with the cobra (Naja haje) (Ps.
     58:4; 91:13); elsewhere "asp." (3.) Tziphoni ("hissing") (Prov.
     23:32); elsewhere rendered "cockatrice," Isa. 11:8; 14:29; 59:5;
     Jer. 8:17, as it is here in the margin of the Authorized
     Version. The Revised Version has "basilisk." This may have been
     the yellow viper, the Daboia xanthina, the largest and most
     dangerous of the vipers of Palestine. (4.) Shephiphon
     ("creeping"), occurring only in Gen. 49:17, the small speckled
     venomous snake, the "horned snake," or cerastes. Dan is compared
     to this serpent, which springs from its hiding-place on the
     passer-by.
     

From THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993) [devils]:

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