mandrake

American  

[man-dreyk, -drik] / ˈmæn dreɪk, -drɪk /

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.

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mandrake British  

/ 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

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Etymology

Origin of mandrake

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

Example Sentences

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

“I told her that desperation led you to seek death. I do not think she believes me. She knows that you stole the mandrake, but she bears you no ill will,” Horatio whispered.

From Literature