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

Eight years later, the Dragon spacecraft carried its first astronaut to the ISS, beating other aerospace companies like Boeing to becoming the main American transport to the space station.

From Barron's • Jun. 12, 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

The company’s Falcon 9 rocket was carrying an unmanned Dragon capsule, which linked up with the ISS 200 miles above Earth.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026

Under the plan, HMS Dragon - the air defence destroyer that is already on its way to the Middle East - will also "be ready for any mission" to secure the strait, the MoD said.

From BBC • May 12, 2026

She looked toward the Fitzgibbons’ farmhouse, and there, on the back porch, lying in the sun, was Dragon.

From "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" by Robert C. O'Brien