Main Entry:

man·drake

Pronunciation:

\ˈman-ˌdrāk\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English, probably alteration of mandragora

Date:

14th century

1 a: a Mediterranean herb (Mandragora officinarum) of the nightshade family with large ovate leaves, greenish-yellow or purple flowers, and a large usually forked root resembling a human in form and formerly credited with magical properties b: the root of a mandrake formerly used especially to promote conception, as a cathartic, or as a narcotic and soporific2: mayapple

[mandrake illustration]