adder

Meaning

Noun

• Any snake.
• A name loosely applied to various snakes more or less resembling the viper; a viper.
• Someone who or something which performs arithmetic addition; a machine for adding numbers.
• An electronic device that adds voltages, currents or frequencies.
• Something which adds or increases.

Origin

• From Middle English nadder, addere, rebracketing of “a naddere” as “an addere”, from Old English nǣdre, nǣddre, from Proto-Germanic *nadrǭ ("snake, viper") (compare West Frisian njirre, Dutch adder, German Natter, Otter), from pre-Germanic *néh₁treh₂, variant of Proto-Indo-European *n̥h₁trih₂ (compare Welsh neidr, Latin natrīx ("watersnake")), from *(s)neh₁- (compare Dutch naaien).
• From add + -er.