dragon

American  

[drag-uhn] / ˈdræg ən /

noun

dragons plural

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.

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idioms

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

dragon British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• dragoness
  noun
• dragonish
  adjective
• dragonlike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• dragons
  plural

Etymology

Origin of dragon

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”

Explanation

A dragon is a fire-breathing mythological animal, a winged, flying, scaly creature. In many European legends, brave knights battle evil dragons. The dragon shows up in the mythologies of many different cultures, usually breathing fire and resembling a giant reptile or serpent with wings. The monster in the ancient Mesopotamian poem the "Epic of Gilgamesh" is often called a dragon, and the Old English story "Beowulf" also features a fearsome dragon. In several Asian cultures, dragons represent wisdom, nature, and longevity. The Greek root is drakon, "serpent" or "giant seafish."

Example Sentences

A former consultant, Kunjur co-founded K2 with his brother Neel, who spent more than five years working on SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft earlier in his career.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 15, 2026

Among its creations was the Dragon spacecraft, which docked as a cargo vessel at the International Space Station in 2012, a first by a private company.

From Barron's • Jun. 12, 2026

Lucha Libre Voz, an independent professional wrestling company based in California and Arizona, will host its worldwide championship match between Tigre Uno and Septimo Dragon.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

Researchers expect the Dragon Bravo Fire to influence future observations, but they view it as another factor to incorporate into their work rather than an obstacle that changes the overall mission.

From Science Daily • Jun. 2, 2026

Tending the bukshah in the cold and dark of winter mornings and in the evenings when the sun had slipped behind the Mountain, he had heard the sound of the Dragon.

From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda