mandrake

[ man-dreyk, -drik ]

noun

1. a narcotic, short-stemmed European plant, Mandragora officinarum, of the nightshade family, having a fleshy, often forked root somewhat resembling a human form.
2. the May apple.

mandrake

/ ˈmændreɪk; mænˈdræɡərə /

noun

1. a Eurasian solanaceous plant, Mandragora officinarum, with purplish flowers and a forked root. It was formerly thought to have magic powers and a narcotic was prepared from its root
2. another name for the May apple

Word History and Origins

Origin of mandrake¹

1275–1325; Middle English, variant of mandrage (short for mandragora ), taken by folk etymology as man + drake ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of mandrake¹

C14: probably via Middle Dutch from Latin mandragoras (whence Old English mandragora ), from Greek. The form mandrake was probably adopted through folk etymology, because of the allegedly human appearance of the root and because drake (dragon) suggested magical powers

Example Sentences

Atropine and scopolamine, powerful hallucinogens, can be found in plants in the nightshade family, among them mandrake, henbane and thorn apple.

From New York Times

The studio has re-created the herbology classroom from the 2001 movie “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” complete with facsimiles of the magical mandrake plants that scream when they are uprooted.

From Los Angeles Times

Sumerian clay tablets from ancient Mesopotamia contained instructions for the herbal preparation of more than 200 different plants, including poppy and mandrake.

From New York Times

At Hogwarts, the roots of the mandrakes are squalling babies whose cries can be fatal.

From New York Times

The mandrakes, for instance, use dollar-store baby dolls as their foundation, covered with a moldable foam clay and half-buried in a faux soil.

From Los Angeles Times