Definition of mandrake Mandrake

/mæˈndɹejˌk/ - [mandreyk] - man•drake

We found 10 definitions of mandrake from 6 different sources.

What does mandrake mean?

Noun Plural: mandrakes
mandrake - a plant of southern Europe and North Africa having purple flowers, yellow fruits and a forked root formerly thought to have magical powers
		devil's apples, Mandragora officinarum
		herbaceous plant, herb aromatic potherb used in cookery for its savory qualities
		genus mandragora, mandragora a genus of stemless herbs of the family Solanaceae
mandrake - the root of the mandrake plant; used medicinally or as a narcotic
		mandrake root
		root the part of a tooth that is embedded in the jaw and serves as support

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mandrake (Noun)
A mandragora, a kind of tiny demon immune to fire.
mandrake (Noun)
Any plant of the genus Mandragora, certain of which are said to have medicinal properties; the curiously shaped root of these plants has been likened to the shape of a little man, and thus, has attained some mythic significance.

mandrake (n.)
A low plant (Mandragora officinarum) of the Nightshade family, having a fleshy root, often forked, and supposed to resemble a man. It was therefore supposed to have animal life, and to cry out when pulled up. All parts of the plant are strongly narcotic. It is found in the Mediterranean region.
mandrake (n.)
The May apple (Podophyllum peltatum). See May apple under May, and Podophyllum.

Mandrake is the common name of a number of plants in the Nightshade family, genus Mandragora. The roots often look like man or woman, or can be easily made to resemble them. The plant has been used in witchcraft for a long time.

According to this literature, the plant shrieks in pain, when it is pulled from the ground. This shriek is able to make a person deaf. He might also loose his mind, or even be killed, if he is unprotected.

Mandrake (Mandragora officinalis) has been used as an anaestethic for a long time. For this, it was usually prepared in an alcoholic solution.