dodder

Early 17th century, variant of dialectal dadder, from Middle English daderen (“to quake, tremble”), ultimately from the root of dither. Compare Norwegian dudra (“to tremble”).

From Middle English doder (“flax dodder”), from Middle Dutch doder, from Old Dutch *doder, ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *dodr (viz. theories of origin). Cognate with Middle Low German doder, West Flemish dodder.