Meanings
plural cudbears · alternative cudbeard
- countablehistoricaluncountableA violet-red dye powder, prepared from certain lichens, especially Ochrolechia tartarea.
ORCHELLA WEEDS. The cylindrical and flat species of Roccella used in the manufacture of Orchil or Archil, and Cudbear, are so called by the makers.
1878, Andrew Ure, Robert Hunt, Frederick William Rudler, Ure̓'s Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures, and Mines: Containing a Clear Exposition of Their Principles and Practice, volume 3
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA rim lichen, crabseye lichen (Ochrolechia tartarea.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Corrupted from the name of Dr. Cuthbert Gordon, a Scotsman, who patented the process of manufacture.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
cudbear. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cudbear
“cudbear.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cudbear. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cudbear,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cudbear.
Source: cudbear on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.