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Definition of common adder
common adder
Plural:common adders
common adder Lexical Profile
CEFR
C1
Grade
7
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
A widely distributed venomous snake of the viper family (Vipera berus), native to various habitats across Europe and parts of Asia, distinguished by a distinct dark zigzag pattern along its back.
Example
"While hiking through the Scottish heathland, they were careful to watch their step to avoid disturbing a basking common adder."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for common adder• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The word 'common' derives from Latin 'communis' (shared, general). 'Adder' comes from Old English 'næddre' (serpent). In Middle English, the phrase 'a naddre' underwent a linguistic process called false splitting or rebracketing, evolving into 'an addre'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Common adder. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/common adder