dragon

noun

drag·​on ˈdra-gən 

1

archaic : a huge serpent

2

: a mythical animal usually represented as a monstrous winged and scaly serpent or saurian with a crested head and enormous claws

3

: a violent, combative, or very strict person

4

capitalized : draco

5

: something or someone formidable or baneful

dragonish

ˈdra-gə-nish 

adjective

Examples of dragon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Other recent salmonella outbreaks have been linked to pet bearded dragons, backyard poultry and basil, the agency says. —Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 30 Nov. 2024

Another 15 cases were reported and four people hospitalized in an outbreak linked to pet bearded dragons over the summer. —Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024

The Danish company debuted its first float in 2019, featuring a phantasmagoric creature part turkey, part dragon, built from over 2,000 giant Lego bricks. —Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2024

De Laurentiis included a video of herself using a cup to collect water from a dragon fountain and a clip of large koi fishes swimming in a pond. —Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 27 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French dragun, from Latin dracon-, draco serpent, dragon, from Greek drakōn serpent; akin to Old English torht bright, Greek derkesthai to see, look at

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing dragon

• dragon fruit
• dragon lady
• dragon's blood
• dragon's teeth
• green dragon
• Komodo dragon

Kids Definition

dragon

noun

drag·​on ˈdrag-ən 

1

: an imaginary animal usually pictured as a huge serpent or lizard with wings and large claws

2

capitalized : draco

Etymology

Middle English dragon "dragon," from early French dragun (same meaning), from Latin dracon-, draco "serpent, dragon," from Greek drakōn "serpent" — related to rankle