mandrake

C2 Topic:Plants & Agriculture

US /ˈmændreɪk/ UK /ˈmændreɪk/ See IPA manual

Freq #29662

Meanings

1

noun
a Mediterranean plant of the genus Mandragora with a thick often forked root and toxic tropane alkaloids

The mandrake bears yellow fruit above a rosette of broad leaves.
2

noun
the root of this plant, historically used in medicine and associated with fertility, magic, and a humanlike shape

Legend claimed that a mandrake could scream when pulled from the earth.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a mediterranean plant of... mandragora

2 noun · the root of this plant,... mandrake rootmandragora

Word family

Derived forms mandrakelike

Related forms nightshadeMandragoratropane alkaloid

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

mandrake root
the root of the mandrake plant, historically associated with medicine and narcotics

Noun + noun

Etymology

From Middle English mandrake, reshaped from Old English and Medieval Latin mandragora, ultimately Greek mandragoras. English replaced the obscure ending with drake, perhaps through association with dragons. The forked root's humanlike form encouraged extensive medicinal and magical folklore.

Topics

Plants & Agriculture

External links

# mandrake

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈmændreɪk/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈmændreɪk/
**Frequency rank:** 29662

## Meanings
1. a Mediterranean plant of the genus Mandragora with a thick often forked root and toxic tropane alkaloids
2. the root of this plant, historically used in medicine and associated with fertility, magic, and a humanlike shape

## Examples
- The mandrake bears yellow fruit above a rosette of broad leaves.
- Legend claimed that a mandrake could scream when pulled from the earth.

## Synonyms
- mandragora
- mandrake root

## Derived Forms
- mandrakelike

## Related Forms
- nightshade
- Mandragora
- tropane alkaloid

## Etymology
From Middle English mandrake, reshaped from Old English and Medieval Latin mandragora, ultimately Greek mandragoras. English replaced the obscure ending with drake, perhaps through association with dragons. The forked root's humanlike form encouraged extensive medicinal and magical folklore.

## Topics
- Plants & Agriculture

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