maddery

comparative more maddery · superlative most maddery

1. Of or similar to the deep reddish colour of madder (dye).

   As we watched the resting greylags a biggish skein came beating up over the mountains, and for a quarter of an hour we watched them circling a dark maddery moss on the opposite shore, as though they were looking for a place to feed.

   1950, ‘B. B.’, chapter 9, in Tide’s Ending, New York: Scribner, pages 82–83

   1 more example

   1873, Gerard Manley Hopkins, “Sunset,” Diary entry dated 3 November, 1873, in The Dublin Review, July, August, September, 1920, p. 64, A few minutes later the brightness over; one great dull rope coiling overhead sidelong from the sunset, its dewlaps and bellyings painted with a maddery campion-colour that seemed to stoop and drop like sopped cake;