manticore

English

A manticore

Etymology

From Latin mantichōras, from Ancient Greek μαρτιχόρας (martikhóras, “man-eater; tiger”), from Old Persian *martyahvārah (“man-eater”), from 𐎶𐎼𐎫𐎡𐎹 (m-r-t-i-y /⁠martyaʰ⁠/, “man”).

Pronunciation

• (US, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈmæntɪˌkɔɹ/
• Hyphenation: man‧ti‧core

Noun

manticore (plural manticores)

1. (Greek mythology) A beast with the body of a lion (usually red), the tail of a scorpion, and the head/face of a man with a mouth filled with multiple rows of sharp teeth (like a shark), said to be able to shoot spikes from its tail or mane to paralyse prey. It may be horned, winged, or both; its voice is described as a mixture of pipes and trumpets.
   • 2005, “Circus Maximus”, performed by Clutch:

     Now may I present to you the basilisk?
     Please down your goggles if you wish to resist
     From the fiery depths of the planet’s core
     The never sleeping for want of eating unholy stench of the manticore

Translations

mythical creature

• Danish: manticore c
• Dutch: mantichora f
• Finnish: manticora, mantikori
• French: manticore (fr) f
• German: Mantikor m
• Greek:

  Ancient: μαντιχώρας m (mantikhṓras), μαρτιχόρας m (martikhóras)

• Italian: manticora f
• Japanese: マンティコア (mantikoa)
• Korean: 만티코어 (mantiko'eo)
• Latin: mantichōra f, mantichōras f
• Marathi: मॅन्टिकोर m (mĕnṭikor)
• Norwegian: manticora
• Persian: مردخوار sg
• Polish: mantykora (pl) f
• Portuguese: manticora, mantícora f
• Russian: мантико́ра (ru) f (mantikóra)
• Spanish: mantícora (es) f
• Swedish: mantikora (sv) c
• Tagalog: mantikora

Further reading

• Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “manticore”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Anagrams

• cremation, crotamine

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɑ̃.ti.kɔʁ/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

manticore f (plural manticores)

1. manticore