noun

mandrake

MAND-rayk

Mandrake (noun) means a plant (genus Mandragora) with a forked root that can resemble a human figure, long associated with magic and folklore. Example: “Medieval herbalists believed pulling a mandrake root could cause a deadly scream.”

noun

A plant (genus Mandragora) with a forked root that can resemble a human figure, long associated with magic and folklore.

"Medieval herbalists believed pulling a mandrake root could cause a deadly scream."

In fantasy fiction, a small demon-like plant creature.

"The young wizards learned to repot screaming mandrakes in class."

How to use mandrake

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA real plant famous in folklore for its human-shaped root and magical associations, and a name borrowed by fantasy fiction for a similar plant-creature.

Word forms

mandrakes plural

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Medieval herbalists believed pulling a _____ root could cause a deadly scream.

Etymology

From Middle English mandrake, altered from mandragora after its ending was mistakenly linked to "dragon" and respelled with "drake."

Origin: Middle English

Synonyms

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mandrake root devil's apples

Rhymes for mandrake

ake take make rake wake cake lake sake bake fake jake Dake

See all rhymes for mandrake →

Frequently asked questions

What does “mandrake” mean?

The word “mandrake” means a plant (genus Mandragora) with a forked root that can resemble a human figure, long associated with magic and folklore. In plain terms, a real plant famous in folklore for its human-shaped root and magical associations, and a name borrowed by fantasy fiction for a similar plant-creature.

How do you pronounce “mandrake”?

“Mandrake” is pronounced MAND-rayk (/ˈmændɹeɪk/ in IPA).

How do you use “mandrake” in a sentence?

Here is “mandrake” used in a sentence: “Medieval herbalists believed pulling a mandrake root could cause a deadly scream.”

What part of speech is “mandrake”?

“Mandrake” is a noun.

Where does the word “mandrake” come from?

The word “mandrake” comes from Middle English. From Middle English mandrake, altered from mandragora after its ending was mistakenly linked to "dragon" and respelled with "drake.".

How many meanings does “mandrake” have?

“Mandrake” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a plant (genus Mandragora) with a forked root that can resemble a human figure, long associated with magic and folklore.