madder plant; Japanese madder; Rubia argyi
Refers to the plant itself, especially the species Rubia argyi, whose roots yield a red dye.
A red dye can be obtained from the roots of the madder plant.
madder red; deep red
The color produced from madder dye; a deep, slightly brownish red. Often used in traditional Japanese color names.
The sunset is dyed in madder red.
The evening sky was dyed a deep madder red.
We boiled madder roots to make dye.
Standard kanji spelling. Used in plant names, color names, and personal names.
Kana spelling is common, especially for the color sense.
Katakana spelling used in botanical contexts or for emphasis.
The origin is uncertain. The kanji 茜 is conventionally associated with the madder plant and its red dye.