Word
mandrake
Phoneticsman·drake, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈmænˌdɹeɪk/
UK/mˈændɹeɪk/
Countable noun
Definition
n. a plant with thick roots that can look a bit like a person, with wide green leaves and purple flowers. You often meet it in old stories and fantasy books, where its root has magic powers.
n. a Mediterranean plant of the nightshade family with a thick, often forked root, broad leaves and bell-shaped purple flowers. Contains toxic tropane alkaloids and figures prominently in folklore and historical medicine, where the human-like root was credited with magical and anaesthetic properties.
Examples
“The mandrake grows low leaves and purple flowers.”
“The gardener warned visitors not to touch the mandrake because its roots and berries are poisonous.”
“In medieval herbals the mandrake appears with its forked root drawn as a tiny human body, a visual shorthand for centuries of myth linking the plant to fertility, sleep and death.”
Examples
simple
“The mandrake grows low leaves and purple flowers.”
contextual
“The gardener warned visitors not to touch the mandrake because its roots and berries are poisonous.”
complex
“In medieval herbals the mandrake appears with its forked root drawn as a tiny human body, a visual shorthand for centuries of myth linking the plant to fertility, sleep and death.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “mandrake” in context.
Verb
01. grind mandrake
“The apothecary would grind mandrake into a fine sedative powder.”
verb + noun
02. harvest mandrake
“Herbalists would harvest mandrake at dawn to preserve its potency.”
verb + noun
03. mandrake flowers
“The mandrake flowers in spring with pale purple blossoms.”
noun + verb
04. mandrake screams
“In folklore, the mandrake screams when pulled from the earth.”
noun + verb
05. mandrake sprouts
“After the rain, the mandrake sprouts broad green leaves.”
noun + verb
Adjective
06. mature mandrake
“A mature mandrake develops a thick forked root resembling human legs.”
adj + noun
07. mythical mandrake
“The novel draws on the mythical mandrake whose scream was said to kill.”
adj + noun
08. poisonous mandrake
“Medieval herbalists warned that poisonous mandrake could induce delirium.”
adj + noun
09. potted mandrake
“The greenhouse shelf held a potted mandrake with purple buds.”
adj + noun
Noun
10. lore of mandrake
“The lore of mandrake blends botany, magic and medieval medicine.”
noun + prep + noun
11. a tincture of mandrake
“The healer administered a tincture of mandrake to induce sleep.”
12. repot a young mandrake
“She put on earmuffs to repot a young mandrake safely.”
Etymology
From Middle English mandrake, mandroke, an alteration of mandragora with the ending -dragora reinterpreted as related to dragon and replaced with native drake, from Old English mandragora, from Medieval Latin mandragorās, from Ancient Greek μανδραγόρας (mandragóras).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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