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

See Examples For:

dragon dragons

Those include rival Rogue’s mango-flavored pouches and Velo’s wild berry and dragon fruit flavors.

From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026

What do a dragon, rugby player, miner and Dot Cotton have in common?

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026

A behind-the-scenes teaser trailer boasts of expending 25 tons of propane to create a realistic approximation of dragon fire and setting a new world record for setting stunt performers on fire in a single take.

From Salon ● Jun. 24, 2026

“He was literally a king and a dragon rider down to now being a guy who is a beggar,” Condal said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026

Looking up, he saw the dragon swooping toward him, its pointy red wings stretched to the full.

From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville

Next to that show’s glittering costumes, huge cast and massive props arsenal, Sheepstealer and his fellow dragons seem downright reasonable.

From Salon ● Jun. 24, 2026

Their children Jacaerys and Baela’s dragons are Vermax and Moondancer, respectively.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026

Only dragons dare challenge the World Cup in the battle for streaming viewers this June.

From MarketWatch ● May 31, 2026

Islands are home to an estimated 20% to 30% of Earth's species and are well known for unusual wildlife, including Madagascan lemurs and Komodo dragons.

From Science Daily ● May 28, 2026

You mean to tell me I was stuck feeding baby goats at the petting zoo when I could’ve been riding dragons?

From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas