noun
- a Mediterranean plant of the nightshade family with a forked root, historically believed to have magical properties
Usage: botanical; historical
Examples
- The ancient Greeks believed mandragora could cure various ailments.
- Medieval herbalists wrote extensively about the supposed powers of mandragora.
- The mandragora’s humanlike root shape contributed to many superstitions.
- Shakespeare referenced mandragora in several of his plays.
- Botanists classify mandragora as part of the Solanaceae family.
- The mandragora plant produces purple flowers and orange berries.