dragon
Americannoun
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dragons
plural
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a mythical monster generally represented as a huge, winged reptile with crested head and enormous claws and teeth, and often spouting fire.
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Archaic. a huge serpent or snake.
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Bible. a large animal, possibly a large snake or crocodile.
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the dragon, Satan.
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a fierce, violent person.
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a very watchful and strict woman; duenna.
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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.
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a short musket carried by a mounted infantryman in the 16th and 17th centuries.
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a soldier armed with such a musket.
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Astronomy. Dragon, the constellation Draco.
idioms
noun
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a mythical monster usually represented as breathing fire and having a scaly reptilian body, wings, claws, and a long tail
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informal a fierce or intractable person, esp a woman
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any of various very large lizards, esp the Komodo dragon
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any of various North American aroid plants, esp the green dragon
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Christianity a manifestation of Satan or an attendant devil
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a yacht of the International Dragon Class, 8.88m long (29.2 feet), used in racing
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slang to smoke opium or heroin
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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."
Vocabulary lists containing dragon
Ancient Greece: Mythology and Literature - Middle School
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Ancient Greece: Mythology and Literature - Introductory
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Chinese History - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"You can't ride a dragon in real life so you can read about it."
From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026
A fully computer generated dragon is easier to believe than digital or prop wings tacked onto an actor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
Jon: Chinese consumers often call out foreign brands that they feel lazily pander to Chinese tastes—like adding a dragon design and calling it a “Year of the Dragon” shoe.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
The breath of a dragon won’t save them but a warm coat will.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
In Duane’s case, he was stuck between a blizzard and a dragon monster.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
The name blunder earlier this week was part of the Cheshire zoo's ticket promotion to allow visitors to go on a tour showcasing its Sumatran tigers, lions, rhinos and Komodo dragons.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
Another tourist, French painter Carol Odile, said she came with a group of friends, excited to see Komodo dragons in Flores, when she was notified that her flight was cancelled.
From Barron's ● Sep. 7, 2026
In the fantasy series, Syrax is known for her striking yellow coloration, relatively small size compared with other dragons, and unusually high egg production.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026
Certain things have to happen in “House of the Dragon” for it to align with “Game of Thrones,” including the end of the age of dragons, which means Rhaenyra must fail, big time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
“I mean, I don’t know what dragons believe about anything. Your faith.”
From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
