atter en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈætə/ (UK)
- /ˈætəɹ/ (General-American)
Etymology
From Middle English atter, ater, from Old English āttor, ǣttor, ātor (“poison”), from Proto-West Germanic *aitr, from Proto-Germanic *aitrą (“gland, matter”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eyd-, *h₂oyd- (“tumor, abscess”), related to Ancient Greek οἶδος (oîdos, “swelling, tumour, abscess, produced by internal action”). Cognate with Scots attir (“corrupt matter, pus”), Scots atter, etter (“poison, venom”), Shetlandic eter (“poison; bitter cold”), Old Norse eitr, Icelandic eitur (“poison”), Faroese eitur, Norwegian eiter (“venom”), Swedish etter (“poison, venom, virulence”), Danish edder, ædder (“venom”), Saterland Frisian Atter (“pus”), Dutch etter (“pus”), German Eiter (“poison, pus”).
Meanings
- (UK, archaic, dialectal) Poisonous bodily fluid, especially venom of a venomous animal, such as a snake, dragon or other reptile; corrupt or morbid matter from the body, such as pus from a sore or wound; bitter substance, such as bile.
- (archaic, figuratively) Moral corruption or corruptness; noxious or corrupt influence, poison to the soul, evil, anger, envy, hatred; destruction, death.
- (UK, dialectal) Epithelium produced on the tongue.
- (UK, dialectal) A scab; a dry sore.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| attir | Scotland, alternative | lexicographic | |
| etter | Scotland, alternative | lexicographic | |
| atters | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
atterly · attercop · atterscar · attery · attering · attern · attermite · atter-pile · atteril
Translations (17)
non eitr (poisonous bodily fluid) · da edder (poisonous bodily fluid) · gmq-osw ēter (poisonous bodily fluid) · fo eitur (poisonous bodily fluid) · zh 毒液 (poisonous bodily fluid) · la vīrus (poisonous bodily fluid) · enm atter (moral corruption or corruptness) · ang ăttor (poisonous bodily fluid) · sv förgiftning (moral corruption or corruptness) · osx ĕttar (poisonous bodily fluid) · sv etter (poisonous bodily fluid) · nl ether (poisonous bodily fluid) · is eitur (poisonous bodily fluid) · ang ātor (poisonous bodily fluid) · enm atter (poisonous bodily fluid) · pl jad (poisonous bodily fluid) · de Eiter (poisonous bodily fluid)