Etymology

adder stone

ad·der

Today it means: A stone of varying forms and usually glassy with a naturally formed hole, which is often used as an amulet or bead. Full definition →

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The story

From adder + stone. The word is attested since the late 16th century, its earliest use being found in a work by Arthur Golding (c. 1536 – 1606). The perforation was imagined to be made by the sting of an adder.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.