Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - madder

 noun  Etymology: Middle English, from Old English m?dere; akin to Old High German matara ~  Date: before 12th century  1. a Eurasian herb (Rubia tinctorum of the family Rubiaceae, the ~ family) with whorled leaves and small yellowish panicled flowers succeeded by dark berries; broadly any of several related herbs (genus Rubia)  2.  a. the root of the Eurasian ~ used formerly in dyeing; also an alizarin dye prepared from it  b. a moderate to strong red