Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

madder lake

American  

noun

  1. a strong purple-red color.

  2. a pigment of this color formerly obtained from the madder root, characterized chiefly by lack of permanence.


Etymology

Origin of madder lake

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He identified pigments that had originally covered the sculpture: Egyptian blue mixed into pinkish skin tones and the whites of the eyes; yellow and red ochre in the hair; rose-colored madder lake for the lips.

From The New Yorker • Oct. 22, 2018

Heightened by madder lake, it furnishes a glowing red, very useful in some descriptions of skies; and saddened by black, it gives low toned reds of good quality for buildings.

From Field's Chromatography or Treatise on Colours and Pigments as Used by Artists by Salter, Thomas

Plate 11.—The sky, indigo and madder lake: the clouds varied with Nos.

From The Use of a Box of Colours In a Practical Demonstration on Composition, Light and Shade, and Colour. by Willson, Harry

Carmine, madder lake, ultramarine, and Indian yellow, cannot be prepared without perfectly pure water.

From A Treatise on Adulterations of Food, and Culinary Poisons Exhibiting the Fraudulent Sophistications of Bread, Beer, Wine, Spiritous Liquors, Tea, Coffee, Cream, Confectionery, Vinegar, Mustard, Pepper, Cheese, Olive Oil, Pickles, and Other Articles Employed in Domestic Economy by Accum, Friedrich Christian

The pigment may be dispensed with in favour of madder lake and madder brown, whose combinations serve for every purpose to which it can be applied, and are stable.

From Field's Chromatography or Treatise on Colours and Pigments as Used by Artists by Salter, Thomas

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "madder lake" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com