dragon

[drag-uhn]

noun

1. a mythical monster generally represented as a huge, winged reptile with crested head and enormous claws and teeth, and often spouting fire.

2. Archaic.,  a huge serpent or snake.

3. Bible.,  a large animal, possibly a large snake or crocodile.

4. the dragon, Satan.

5. a fierce, violent person.

6. a very watchful and strict woman; duenna.

7. flying dragon.

8. Botany.,  any of several araceous plants, as Arisaema dracontium green dragon, or dragonroot, the flowers of which have a long, slender spadix and a green, shorter spathe.

9. a short musket carried by a mounted infantryman in the 16th and 17th centuries.

10. a soldier armed with such a musket.

11. Astronomy.,  Dragon, the constellation Draco.

dragon

/ ˈdræɡən /

noun

1. a mythical monster usually represented as breathing fire and having a scaly reptilian body, wings, claws, and a long tail

2. informal,  a fierce or intractable person, esp a woman

3. any of various very large lizards, esp the Komodo dragon

4. any of various North American aroid plants, esp the green dragon

5. Christianity a manifestation of Satan or an attendant devil

6. a yacht of the International Dragon Class, 8.88m long (29.2 feet), used in racing

7. slang,  to smoke opium or heroin

Other Word Forms

• dragonish adjective
• dragoness noun
• dragonlike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of dragon¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin dracōn- (stem of dracō ), from Greek drákōn the name of a kind of serpent, probably originally an epithet, “the (sharp-)sighted one,” akin to dérkesthai “to look”

Word History and Origins

Origin of dragon¹

C13: from Old French, from Latin dracō, from Greek drakōn; related to drakos eye

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. chase the dragon, to inhale the vapor of heated heroin or another opiate drug.

Example Sentences

But beyond the promise of "the elephant and the dragon" coming together, the two countries still have major roadblocks to clear before they are able to engage meaningfully.

From BBC

They run alongside raised banks of red earth, deep trenches and neat lines of anti-tank dragon's teeth concrete pyramids.

From BBC

The dragon, of course, hasn’t been slayed yet.

From Los Angeles Times

Arriving in Los Angeles to pitch the half-baked reality show, she takes the opportunity to lobby “Death and Taxidermy”’s showrunner, unsuccessfully, to rethink the cannibalism and dragons now written into it.

From Salon

Surrounded by virtual cliffs and a cascading waterfall, dragon riders on Roblox’s massive online gaming platform immerse themselves in a memorable scene from “How to Train Your Dragon.”

From Los Angeles Times