man drake
dreɪk, -drɪk noun
1.
a narcotic, short-stemmed European plant, Mandragora officinarum, of the nightshade family, having a fleshy, often forked root somewhat resembling a human form.
2.
the May apple.
Origin:
1275–1325; Middle English, variant of mandrage (short for mandragora), taken by folk etymology as man1 + drake2
1275–1325; Middle English, variant of mandrage (short for mandragora), taken by folk etymology as man1 + drake2
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To man drake
Collins
World English Dictionary
mandrake or mandragora (ˈmændreɪk, mænˈdræɡərə) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a Eurasian solanaceous plant, Mandragora officinarum, with purplish flowers and a forked root. It was formerly thought to have magic powers and a narcotic was prepared from its root |
| 2. | another name for the May apple |
| [C14: probably via Middle Dutch from Latin mandragoras (whence Old English mandragora), from Greek. The form mandrake was probably adopted through folk etymology, because of the allegedly human appearance of the root and because drake (dragon) suggested magical powers] | |
| mandragora or mandragora | |
| —n | |
| [C14: probably via Middle Dutch from Latin mandragoras (whence Old English mandragora), from Greek. The form mandrake was probably adopted through folk etymology, because of the allegedly human appearance of the root and because drake (dragon) suggested magical powers] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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00:10
Man drake
is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
mandrake
c.1150, from M.L. mandragora, from L. mandragoras, from Gk. mandragoras, probably from a non-I.E. word. Folk etymology associated the second element with dragoun and substituted native drake in its place. The forked root is thought to resemble a human form and is said to shriek when pulled from the ground.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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