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Mandragora

Mandragora

1 9.9
A small plant with a thick, often forked root that people used in old medicine and stories
  • noun
  • /mænˈdreɪɡərə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : mandrágora
  • Not poppy, nor mandragora... ...nor all the drowsy syrups of the world... ...shall ever medicine thee to that sweet sleep... ...which thou owedst yesterday.

Examples

  • - Get me to drink mandragora.

  • In a letter to his wife, Hamsun confirms the centrality of love by mentioning a poem about mandragora that introduces the play:

    Academic text (1998)
  • Give me to drink mandragora.

  • Mandrake, or mandragora, is used to return those who have been petrified to their original state.

  • Did you also know that in the 1200s, in many places, including Britain and Byzantium, they were pretty good at anesthetizing a patient with mandragora, henbane, and opium?

    Academic text (2008)
  • In traditional medicine, mandragora is often mentioned for its potential healing properties.

  • Herbalists frequently use mandragora in their concoctions for various ailments.

  • The legend says that mandragora has magical powers and can bring good luck.

Synonyms

mandrake
vsMandragora
  • Literature
1 9.9

A plant with purple or white flowers and a forked root believed to have magical powers

is the genus grouping several such plants and their traditional uses
Mandragora officinarum
vsMandragora
  • Specialized
9.9

A plant with purple flowers and a forked root thought to be magical and used as medicine

is the broader genus that includes this species and similar plants

Compounds

9.9

A plant with purple flowers and a forked root thought to be magical and used as medicine

Surface Forms

Mandragora singular
Mandragoras plural

Etymology

Mandragora comes from an old Greek name mandragoras, and it is the same plant you know as the English mandrake. People once thought the thick root looked like a small human and held 'magic' and 'healing' power, which is why the name is tied to both folk stories and medicine.