atter

Meaning

Noun

1. 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
2. moral corruption or corruptness; noxious or corrupt influence, poison to the soul, evil, anger, envy, hatred; destruction, death
3. epithelium produced on the tongue
4. a scab; a dry sore

Verb

1. to venom; sting
2. to discharge, as a sore; clot; curdle; cake

Synonyms

ichor

pus

yellow bile

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈætə/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: atter

Inherited from Old English: āttor

Cognate with Ancient Greek: οἶδος

Cognate with Scots: attir

Cognate with Scots: atter

Cognate with Old Norse: eitr

Cognate with Icelandic: eitur

Cognate with Faroese: eitur

Cognate with Norwegian: eiter

Cognate with Swedish: etter

Cognate with Danish: edder

Cognate with Saterland Frisian: Atter

Cognate with Dutch: etter

Cognate with German: Eiter

In summary

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”).