Standard Lemma guide

manticore

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Canada, US: /ˈmæntɪˌkɔɹ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

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.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Greek

Topics: human-sciences, mysticism, mythology, philosophy, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a mythical monster having the head of man (with horns) and the body of a lion and the tail of a scorpion

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: mantichora, manticora, mantiger

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: mythical monster, mythical creature

History

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”).

Across languages

Translations

23 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Danish: manticore — mythical creature
  • Dutch: mantichora — mythical creature
  • Finnish: manticora — mythical creature
  • Finnish: mantikori — mythical creature
  • French: manticore — mythical creature
  • German: Mantikor — mythical creature
  • Ancient Greek: μαντιχώρας (mantikhṓras) — mythical creature
  • Ancient Greek: μαρτιχόρας (martikhóras) — mythical creature
  • Italian: manticora — mythical creature
  • Japanese: マンティコア (mantikoa) — mythical creature
  • Korean: 만티코어 (mantiko'eo) — mythical creature
  • Latin: mantichōra — mythical creature
  • Latin: mantichōras — mythical creature
  • Marathi: मॅन्टिकोर (mĕnṭikor) — mythical creature
  • Norwegian: manticora — mythical creature
  • Persian: مردخوار — mythical creature
  • Polish: mantykora — mythical creature
  • Portuguese: manticora — mythical creature
  • Portuguese: mantícora — mythical creature
  • Russian: мантико́ра (mantikóra) — mythical creature
  • Spanish: mantícora — mythical creature
  • Swedish: mantikora — mythical creature
  • Tagalog: mantikora — mythical creature