pendragon
noun
the supreme leader: the title of certain ancient British chiefs.
pendragon
1 American
[pen-drag-uhn]
/ pɛnˈdræg ən /
noun
Pendragon
2
American
[pen-drag-uhn]
/ pɛnˈdræg ən /
noun
pendragon
British
/ pɛnˈdræɡən /
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of pendragon
1470–80; < Medieval Latin (Geoffrey of Monmouth) Uthyrpendragun Uther Pendragon, taken as Medieval Welsh pen ( n ) head + *dragun < Late Latin dracōnēs, plural of dracō military standard, Latin: serpent, dragon (hence, chief or head standard), though the compound is unattested in Welsh sources outside of translations of Geoffrey of Monmouth
Explanation
In ancient times, one type of British or Welsh king was known as a pendragon. This pendragon was typically a warrior and powerful leader. When you come across the word pendragon, it's typically capitalized and referring to a specific prince or king, either in history or literature. Most famously, the legendary King Arthur is sometimes described with the title pendragon. The word shows up today in fantasy novels and role playing games. In Welsh, pendragon or Pen Ddraig means "chief war leader."
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:
Aurelius, elder brother of Uther the pendragon, and uncle of Arthur, but he died before the hero was born.
From Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama, Vol. 1 A Revised American Edition of the Reader's Handbook by Ebenezer Cobham Brewer
There is a table so called at Winchester, and Henry VIII. showed it to François I. as the very table made by Merlin for Uther the pendragon.
From Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama, Vol. 1 A Revised American Edition of the Reader's Handbook by Ebenezer Cobham Brewer
He would have gratefully given all his patrimonial domains to one who should inform him what pendragon or druid it was who set up the first stone on Salisbury plain.
From Memoirs of Carwin, the Biloquist by Charles Brockden Brown
Her father was Uther the pendragon, and her mother Ygerna, widow of Gorloïs.
From Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama, Vol. 1 A Revised American Edition of the Reader's Handbook by Ebenezer Cobham Brewer
He went on to have a recurring role in sketch show Little Britain, play king Uther Pendragon in the BBC's Merlin, and appear as former football club owner Rupert Mannion in Ted Lasso.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
Its upcoming fantasy series, “The Pendragon Cycle,” signals its ambitions to expand into new territory, with a focus on epic storytelling rather than overtly political themes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 19, 2025
And one of the flashiest benefits of winning is that those films are then eligible for a competitive Oscar nomination in the short film categories, which happened for one of last year’s winners, Lachlan Pendragon.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 22, 2023
Smartly, Pendragon pulls back from beyond the frame to show a time-lapse of his own hands in the act of creation, elevating the meta-gag into a meditation on how we spend our hours.
From New York Times ● Feb. 16, 2023
There he had been, chattering away about Uther Pendragon and Round Tables and battles and Guenever and sword sheaths and things past and things to come—but he had forgotten the most important thing* of afl.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
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