diff --git a/parser/nodes.h b/parser/nodes.h
index 552224b..f3a4767 100644
--- a/parser/nodes.h
+++ b/parser/nodes.h
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include "util/refptr.h"
 #include "util/Vector.h"
 #include <vector>
+#include <string>
 
 class Node
 {
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@ class Node
             return refptr<Vector>(NULL);
         }
         virtual bool isShape() { return false; }
+        virtual std::string getString() { return ""; }
 
     protected:
         std::vector< refptr<Node> > m_children;
@@ -99,6 +101,18 @@ class HeightNode : public IntegerNode
         HeightNode(int i) : IntegerNode(i) {}
 };
 
+class IdentifierNode : public Node
+{
+    public:
+        IdentifierNode(const std::string & str) { m_string = str; }
+        std::string getString()
+        {
+            return m_string;
+        }
+    protected:
+        std::string m_string;
+};
+
 class IntersectNode : public Node
 {
     public:
@@ -123,6 +137,18 @@ class MaterialNode : public Node
 {
 };
 
+class MaterialDefinitionNode : public IdentifierNode
+{
+    public:
+        MaterialDefinitionNode(const std::string & str) : IdentifierNode(str) {}
+};
+
+class MaterialRefNode : public IdentifierNode
+{
+    public:
+        MaterialRefNode(const std::string & str) : IdentifierNode(str) {}
+};
+
 class MultisampleNode : public IntegerNode
 {
     public:
diff --git a/parser/parser.lex b/parser/parser.lex
index 8ca2aae..9a57e1d 100644
--- a/parser/parser.lex
+++ b/parser/parser.lex
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ box                 return BOX;
 camera              return CAMERA;
 color               return COLOR;
 cyl                 return CYL;
+define              return DEFINE;
 diffuse             return DIFFUSE;
 height              return HEIGHT;
 intersect           return INTERSECT;
@@ -70,6 +71,11 @@ up                  return UP;
 vfov                return VFOV;
 width               return WIDTH;
 
+[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z_0-9]*  {
+                    *yylval = new IdentifierNode(yytext);
+                    return IDENTIFIER;
+}
+
 \n                  yylloc->first_line++; yylloc->last_line++;
 [ \t\v]             /* ignore whitespace */
 
diff --git a/parser/parser.yy b/parser/parser.yy
index 1824b09..c409790 100644
--- a/parser/parser.yy
+++ b/parser/parser.yy
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ static refptr<Node> parsed_scene_node;
 %token CAMERA;
 %token COLOR;
 %token CYL;
+%token DEFINE;
 %token DIFFUSE;
 %token HEIGHT;
 %token INTERSECT;
@@ -89,6 +90,8 @@ static refptr<Node> parsed_scene_node;
 %token VFOV;
 %token WIDTH;
 
+%token IDENTIFIER;
+
 %%
 
 scene: SCENE LCURLY scene_items RCURLY {
@@ -236,6 +239,17 @@ material_item: COLOR vector {
                 }
              ;
 
+material_definition: MATERIAL IDENTIFIER LCURLY material_items RCURLY {
+                        $$ = new MaterialDefinitionNode($2->getString());
+                        $$->addChildren($3);
+                    }
+                   ;
+
+material_ref: MATERIAL IDENTIFIER {
+                    $$ = new MaterialRefNode($2->getString());
+                }
+            ;
+
 number: DEC_NUMBER  { $$ = $1; }
       | REAL_NUMBER { $$ = $1; }
       ;
@@ -303,6 +317,7 @@ scene_item: camera { $$ = $1; }
           | options { $$ = $1; }
           | light { $$ = $1; }
           | transform_block { $$ = $1; }
+          | material_definition { $$ = $1; }
           ;
 
 shape: plane { $$ = $1; }
@@ -323,6 +338,7 @@ shape_items: /* empty */
            ;
 
 shape_item: material { $$ = $1; }
+          | material_ref { $$ = $1; }
           | transform { $$ = $1; }
           ;