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mandrake
[ man-dreyk, -drik ]
/ ˈmæn dreɪk, -drɪk /
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noun
a narcotic, short-stemmed European plant, Mandragora officinarum, of the nightshade family, having a fleshy, often forked root somewhat resembling a human form.
the May apple.
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Origin of mandrake
1275–1325; Middle English, variant of mandrage (short for mandragora), taken by folk etymology as man + drake2
Words nearby mandrake
Man does not live by bread alone, mandola, mandolin, mandorla, mandragora, mandrake, mandrel, mandrill, manducate, mandyas, mane
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use mandrake in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for mandrake
mandrake
mandragora (mænˈdræɡərə)
/ (ˈmændreɪk) /
noun
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
another name for the May apple
Word Origin for mandrake
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
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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