# Sanders

/ˈsændɝz/ (US) · /sˈændəz/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/sanders
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 2. a surname

noun · CEFR B1

a common family name in English-speaking countries.

For teachers: a common English-language surname of patronymic origin, meaning 'son of Alexander'.

- Mr. Sanders is the new history teacher at the local high school.
- The Sanders family has lived in this county for generations, according to the local parish records.

### 3. sandalwood

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic

an old word for sandalwood, a type of wood with a nice smell.

For teachers: an obsolete term for sandalwood, particularly the red variety used for dyes or incense.

- The old book mentioned a box made of fine red sanders.
- In the seventeenth-century ledger, the merchant recorded a significant shipment of red sanders destined for the textile dyers in the city.

## Examples

- The old recipe calls for a small amount of powdered sanders.
- Medieval dyers often imported sanders from the East to produce deep red hues in wool and silk fabrics.
- The apothecary's ledger from the seventeenth century lists sanders alongside other exotic resins and woods, indicating its value as both a pigment and a therapeutic ingredient in early modern medicine.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.