dragon lady

noun

1. (often initial capital letters),  a woman of somewhat sinister glamour often perceived as wielding ruthless or corrupt power.

Word History and Origins

Origin of dragon lady¹

So called after the villainous Asian woman in the cartoon strip Terry and the Pirates (1934–1973) created by U.S. cartoonist Milton Caniff (1907–88)

Idioms and Phrases

A domineering or belligerent woman, as in They called her the neighborhood dragon lady—she was always yelling at the children. This slangy term was originally the name of a villainous Asian woman in Milton Caniff's popular cartoon strip Terry and the Pirates (1934–1973), which ran in many newspapers. It was transferred to more general use in the mid-1900s.