Mandragora

//ˌmænˈdɹæɡ.ə.ɹə// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Any of various plants of the genus Mandragora. countable, uncountable
  2. 2
    The root of such a plant, traditionally used as a narcotic. countable, uncountable

    "—though she did not know whether her supposed rival was dead or alive, whether the complaints she at once pitied and resented were those which "poppy and mandragora" might medicine, or "those written troubles of the brain" which were incapable of cure, she contrived to make up for herself a draught of most terrible infliction."

  3. 3
    A kind of tiny supernatural being, sometimes described as a demon. countable, uncountable

Example

More examples

"—though she did not know whether her supposed rival was dead or alive, whether the complaints she at once pitied and resented were those which "poppy and mandragora" might medicine, or "those written troubles of the brain" which were incapable of cure, she contrived to make up for herself a draught of most terrible infliction."

Etymology

From Medieval Latin mandragora, from Latin mandragorās.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.