In stories and legends, a dragon is an animal like a big lizard. It has wings and claws, and breathes out fire.
2. countable noun
If someone calls a woman, especially an older woman, a dragon, they mean that she is fierce and unpleasant.
[informal, disapproval]
dragon in British English
(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, derogatory
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. chase the dragon
Derived forms
dragoness (ˈdragoness)
feminine noun
dragonish (ˈdragonish)
adjective
Word origin
C13: from Old French, from Latin dracō, from Greek drakōn; related to drakos eye
dragon in American English
(ˈdrægən)
noun
1.
a mythical monster, usually represented as a large reptile with wings and claws, breathing out fire and smoke
2.
a fierce person; esp., a fiercely watchful female guardian or chaperon
3. Obsolete
a.
a short musket carried hooked to a soldier's belt
b.
a soldier armed with such a musket; dragoon
4. Obsolete
a large serpent or snake
5. Bible; Obsolete
a word used to translate several Hebrew words now understood to mean serpent, jackal, Old Serpent (Satan), etc.
6. Zoology
any of a genus (Draco) of small tree lizards of Southeast Asia, with winglike membranes used in gliding from tree to tree
Idioms:
the Dragon
Word origin
ME dragoun < OFr dragon < L draco < Gr drakōn, dragon, serpent, lit., the seeing one < derkesthai, to see < IE base *derk-, to see > OIr derc, eye
Examples of 'dragon' in a sentence
dragon
His face slowly changed into the shape of a dragon spitting flames of fire at her.
Lawson, Jonell ROSES ARE FOR THE RICH
Down in the great hall the gwerbret was pacing, leaning hard on his stick, back and forth by the dragon hearth.
Kerr, Katharine A TIME OF WAR
The dragon that landed beside him was a little smaller, her scales more green than coppery, her features more delicate.
Jennifer Fallon MEDALON (2001)
Word lists with
dragon
fauna
In other languages
dragon
British English: dragon /ˈdræɡən/ NOUN
In stories and legends, a dragon is an animal like a big lizard. It has wings and claws, and breathes out fire.
American English: dragon
Arabic: تَنِّيـن
Brazilian Portuguese: dragão
Chinese: 龙
Croatian: zmaj
Czech: drak
Danish: drage fabeldyr
Dutch: draak
European Spanish: dragón
Finnish: lohikäärme
French: dragon
German: Drache
Greek: δράκος
Italian: drago
Japanese: 竜
Korean: 용
Norwegian: drage fabeldyr
Polish: smok
European Portuguese: dragão
Romanian: dragon
Russian: дракон
Latin American Spanish: dragón
Swedish: drake
Thai: มังกร
Turkish: ejderha
Ukrainian: дракон
Vietnamese: con rồng
All related terms of 'dragon'
dragon lady
a woman of somewhat sinister glamour often perceived as wielding ruthless or corrupt power
dragon tree
a tree, Dracaena draco , of the Canary Islands, having clusters of sword-shaped leaves at the tips of its branches: family Agavaceae . It is a source of dragon's blood
the Dragon
the constellation Draco
dragon fruit
any giant cactus of Central America and the SW United States, esp the saguaro
dragon light
a herbal remedy for impotence
dragon lizard
See Komodo dragon
dragon market
any of the emerging markets of the Pacific rim , esp Indonesia, Malaysia , Thailand , and the Philippines
green dragon
a North American aroid plant, Arisaema dracontium, with a long slender spadix projecting from a green or white long narrow spathe
Komodo dragon
the largest monitor lizard , Varanus komodoensis, of Komodo and other East Indian islands: grows to a length of 3 m (about 10 ft) and a weight of 135 kilograms (about 300 lbs.)
Rouge Dragon
a pursuivant at the English college of arms
bearded dragon
a large Australian lizard , Amphibolurus barbatus , with an erectile frill around the neck
dragon's blood
a red resinous substance obtained from the fruit of a Malaysian palm , Daemonorops (or Calamus ) draco : formerly used medicinally and now used in varnishes and lacquers
dragon's teeth
conical or wedge-shaped concrete antitank obstacles protruding from the ground in rows: used in World War II
chase the dragon
to smoke opium or heroin
sow dragon's teeth
to take some action that is intended to prevent strife or trouble but that actually brings it about
flying lizard
any lizard of the genus Draco , of S and SE Asia, having an extensible fold of skin on each side of the body, used to make gliding leaps : family Agamidae ( agamas )
dragonhead
any plant of the genus Dracocephalum, of Europe , Asia , and North America , having dense spikes of white or bluish flowers: family Lamiaceae ( labiates )
pitahaya
any giant cactus of Central America and the SW United States , esp the saguaro