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

Black dragons are the ultimate swamp monsters that shoot an acid breath attack. —Rob Wieland, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025

There’s a simple yet primal excitement for taking down beasts that resemble dragons and dinosaurs, which coexist with wildly distinct creatures outside the usual role-playing norms, such as the puffy bat-like Paolumu that floats in the air like a balloon. —Diego Argüello, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2025

Then, there were those who felt the two dragons on the outside wall weren’t suitably Welsh and looked more like English lions. —Richard Sutcliffe, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025

The live-action How to Train Your Dragon What if a dragon was a big puppy? —Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 10 Feb. 2025

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

Rhymes for dragon

• agone
• lagan
• waggon
• wagon
• anlagen
• bandwagon
• snapdragon

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