dodder

[ dod-er ]

/ ˈdɒd ər /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: dodder / doddering on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)

to shake; tremble; totter.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of dodder

First recorded in 1610–20; origin uncertain; perhaps a variant of dadder “to shake, tremble,” of expressive origin; cf. dither, totter, teeter, etc.

OTHER WORDS FROM dodder

dod·der·er, noun

Words nearby dodder

docusoap, docutainment, DOD, do-dad, Dodd, dodder, doddered, doddering, doddie, doddle, Dodds

Other definitions for dodder (2 of 2)

dodder²

[ dod-er ]

/ ˈdɒd ər /

noun

a leafless parasitic plant, Cuscuta gronovii, having dense clusters of small, white, bell-shaped flowers on orange-yellow stems that twine about clover or flax.

Also called love vine.

Origin of dodder

1225–75; Middle English doder; cognate with Dutch, Danish dodder,Middle Low German dod(d)er,Middle High German toter,German Dotter

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use dodder in a sentence

“There are examples of dodders flowering when their host isn’t flowering,” he says, so it remains unclear whether the parasites sometimes use other signals to flower.
This parasitic plant eavesdrops on its host to know when to flower|Jonathan Lambert|September 4, 2020|Science News
By eavesdropping, a new study shows, using a chemical signal from the dodder’s host as its own.
This parasitic plant eavesdrops on its host to know when to flower|Jonathan Lambert|September 4, 2020|Science News
The flowering protein also interacted with flowering-related genes in the dodders, which the researchers say is further evidence that FT kick-starts the whole process.
This parasitic plant eavesdrops on its host to know when to flower|Jonathan Lambert|September 4, 2020|Science News
If a dodder flowers too soon, it won’t grow as large as it could have and will produce fewer seeds.
This parasitic plant eavesdrops on its host to know when to flower|Jonathan Lambert|September 4, 2020|Science News

The cupbears found no drink for him in the Dodder (a river), and the Dodder had flowed through the house.
The Harvard Classics, Volume 49, Epic and Saga|Various
Found creeping like a small dodder-plant over other polyzoans, hydroids, and seaweeds.
The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide|Augusta Foote Arnold
Some called it Dodora, after the princess, and this was changed at last to 'dodder' by those who did not know.
A Little Garden Calendar for Boys and Girls|Albert Bigelow Paine
Ivy ne'er clasp'd A dodder'd oak, as round the other's limbs The hideous monster intertwin'd his own.
The Vision of Hell, Part 8|Dante Alighieri
Glenasmole, a fine valley about seven miles south of Dublin, through which the river Dodder flows.
Old Celtic Romances|Unknown

British Dictionary definitions for dodder (1 of 2)

dodder¹

/ (ˈdɒdə) /

verb (intr)

to move unsteadily; totter

to shake or tremble, as from age

Derived forms of dodder

dodderer, noundoddery, adjective

Word Origin for dodder

C17: variant of earlier dadder; related to Norwegian dudra to tremble

British Dictionary definitions for dodder (2 of 2)

dodder²

/ (ˈdɒdə) /

noun

any rootless parasitic plant of the convolvulaceous genus Cuscuta, lacking chlorophyll and having slender twining stems with suckers for drawing nourishment from the host plant, scalelike leaves, and whitish flowers

Word Origin for dodder

C13: of Germanic origin; related to Middle Dutch, Middle Low German dodder, Middle High German toter

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

dodder

Origin of dodder

OTHER WORDS FROM dodder

Words nearby dodder

Other definitions for dodder (2 of 2)

Origin of dodder

Words related to dodder

How to use dodder in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for dodder (1 of 2)

Derived forms of dodder

Word Origin for dodder

British Dictionary definitions for dodder (2 of 2)

Word Origin for dodder