womandrake

English

Etymology

Blend of woman +‎ mandrake, from mistakenly analysing mandrake as a man +‎ drake.

Noun

womandrake (plural womandrakes)

  1. (rare) A white form of the plant mandrake, or one with a white root.
    • 1640, John Parkinson, Theatrum Botanicvm: The Theatre of Plants, London, page 343:
      [T]his is the true deſcription of the plant and therefore thoſe idle formes of the Mandrakes and Womandrakes, as they are fooliſhly ſo called, which have beene expoſed to publike view, both in ours and other lands and countries, are utterly deceitfull being the work of cunning knaves, onely to get mony by their forgery.
    • 1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 146:
      In folklore, there are considered to be Mandrakes and Womandrakes, the former being white, the latter black.
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