fabulous monster with the body of a lion, head of a man, porcupine quills, and tail or sting of a scorpion, c.1300, from Latin manticora, from Greek mantikhoras, corruption of martikhoras, perhaps from Iranian compound *mar-tiya-khvara "man-eater;" first element represented by Old Persian maritya- "man" (from PIE *mar-t-yo-, from *mer- "to die," thus "mortal, human;" see mortal, adj.); second element by Old Persian kvar- "to eat," from PIE root *swel- (1) "to eat, drink" (see swallow, v.).