2. (Zool.) (a) A small venomous serpent of the genus Vipera. The common European adder is the Vipera berus or Pelias berus. The puff adders of Africa are species of Clotho. (b) In America, the term is commonly applied to several harmless snakes, as the milk adder, puffing adder, etc. (c) Same as Sea Adder. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In the sculptures the appellation is given to several venomous serpents, -- sometimes to the horned viper (Cerastles). [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A sac or bladder full of air in an animal or plant; also an air hole in a casting. [ 1913 Webster ]

1. (Anat.) A bag or sac in animals, which serves as the receptacle of some fluid; as, the urinary bladder; the gall bladder; -- applied especially to the urinary bladder, either within the animal, or when taken out and inflated with air. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Any vesicle or blister, especially if filled with air, or a thin, watery fluid. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Bot.) A distended, membranaceous pericarp. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Anything inflated, empty, or unsound. “To swim with bladders of philosophy.” Rochester. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bladder nut, or
Bladder tree (Bot.), a genus of plants (Staphylea) with bladderlike seed pods. --
Bladder pod (Bot.), a genus of low herbs (Vesicaria) with inflated seed pods. --
Bladdor senna (Bot.), a genus of shrubs (Colutea), with membranaceous, inflated pods. --
Bladder worm (Zool.), the larva of any species of tapeworm (Tænia), found in the flesh or other parts of animals. See Measle, Cysticercus. --
Bladder wrack (Bot.), the common black rock weed of the seacoast (Fucus nodosus and Fucus vesiculosus) -- called also bladder tangle. See Wrack. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To put up in bladders; as, bladdered lard. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. any of a number of annual or perennial herbs with inflated seed pods; some are placed in the genus Lesquerella. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

3. any of several plants of the genus Physaria having racemose yellow flowers and inflated pods. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

4. any of several hairy North American herbs having yellow racemose flowers and inflated pods. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. common black rockweed used in preparing kelp and as manure.
Syn. -- black rockweed, bladder fucus, tang, Fucus vesiculosus. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

Some the engines play,
And some, more bold, mount ladders to the fire. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which resembles a ladder in form or use; hence, that by means of which one attains to eminence; as, to climb the corporate ladder. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

Lowliness is young ambition's ladder. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Fish ladder. See under Fish. --
Ladder beetle (Zool.), an American leaf beetle (Chrysomela scalaris). The elytra are silvery white, striped and spotted with green; the under wings are rose-colored. It feeds upon the linden tree. --
Ladder handle, an iron rail at the side of a vertical fixed ladder, to grasp with the hand in climbing. --
Ladder shell (Zool.), a spiral marine shell of the genus Scalaria. See Scalaria. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. a chair backrest consisting of 2 uprights with several connecting slats. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

☞ Madder is sometimes used in forming pigments, as lakes, etc., which receive their names from their colors, such as madder yellow. [ 1913 Webster ]

Field madder, an annual European weed (Sherardia arvensis) resembling madder. --
Indian madder , the East Indian Rubia cordifolia, used in the East for dyeing; -- called also munjeet. --
Wild madder, Rubia peregrina of Europe; also the Galium Mollugo, a kind of bedstraw. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A highwayman; a footpad. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]