dragon
Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary
See also dragón
Contents |
[edit] English
[edit] Etymology
From Old French dragon, from Latin dracō, from Ancient Greek δράκων (drakōn), “‘a serpent of huge size, a python, a dragon’”), probably from δρακεῖν (drakein), aorist active infinitive of δέρκομαι (derkomai), “‘I see clearly’”).
[edit] Pronunciation
[edit] Noun
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Singular |
Plural |
dragon (plural dragons)
- A mythical, serpentine or reptilian creature.
- (Western) A gigantic beast, typically reptilian with leathery bat-like wings, lion-like claws, scaly skin and a serpent-like tail, often a monster with fiery breath.
- c.1900 — Edith Nesbit, The Last of the Dragons
- But as every well-brought-up prince was expected to kill a dragon, and rescue a princess, the dragons grew fewer and fewer till it was often quite hard for a princess to find a dragon to be rescued from.
- c.1900 — Edith Nesbit, The Last of the Dragons
- (Eastern) A large, snake-like lizard with the eyes of a hare, the horns of a stag and the claws of a tiger, usually benefic
- 1913 — Sax Rohmer, The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu, ch XIII
- These tapestries were magnificently figured with golden dragons; and as the serpentine bodies gleamed and shimmered in the increasing radiance, each dragon, I thought, intertwined its glittering coils more closely with those of another.
- 1913 — Sax Rohmer, The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu, ch XIII
- (Western) A gigantic beast, typically reptilian with leathery bat-like wings, lion-like claws, scaly skin and a serpent-like tail, often a monster with fiery breath.
- (zoology) Certain animal species which resemble a dragon in appearance:
- (astronomy) The constellation Draco.
- 1605 — William Shakespeare, King Lear, i 2
- My father compounded with my mother vnder the Dragons taile, and my nativity was vnder Vrsa Maior.
- 1605 — William Shakespeare, King Lear, i 2
- (pejorative) An unpleasant woman; a harridan.
- She’s a bit of a dragon.
- (absolute use, often capitalized: "the Dragon") The nickname for the Chinese empire and People's Republic of China
- Napoleon already warned for the awakening of the Dragon.
- (figuratively) Something very formidable or dangerous.
[edit] Quotations
- For examples of the usage of this term see the citations page.
[edit] Derived terms
[edit] Related terms
[edit] Synonyms
- (legendary creature): drake, monster, serpent, wyrm, wyvern, lindworm
- (unpleasant woman): battle-axe, bitch, harridan, shrew, termagant, virago
[edit] Translations
mythical creature
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llizard of the genus Draco — see Draco
Komodo dragon — see Komodo dragon
constellation Draco — see Draco
pejorative: unpleasant woman
nickname for the Chinese empire and the People's Republic of China
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked
[edit] See also
[edit] Dutch
[edit] Etymology 1
From Arabic
[edit] Noun
dragon m. (no plural, diminutive dragonje)
- The edible Mediterranean herb Artemisia dracunculus, used as a salad spice
- The plant Erysimum cheiranthoides
[edit] Synonyms
- (second plant) steenraket
[edit] Etymology 2
French (cfr. infra)
[edit] Noun
dragon m. (no plural, diminutive dragonje)
- A (French) dragoon
[edit] Synonyms
- dragonder m.
[edit] French
[edit] Etymology
[edit] Noun
dragon m. (plural dragons; feminine dragonne, plural dragonnes)
[edit] Derived terms
Related terms
[edit] Middle English
[edit] Alternative spellings
[edit] Noun
dragon
- A dragon.
- 1382 — Wyclif's Bible, Daniel 14:26
- Therfor Daniel took pitch, and talow, and heeris, and sethide togidere; and he made gobetis, and yaf in to the mouth of the dragun; and the dragun was al to-brokun.
- 1380-1399 — Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, The Parson's Tale
- For God seith thus by Moyses: they shul been wasted with hunger, and the briddes of helle shul devouren hem with bitter deeth, and the galle of the dragon shal been hire drynke, and the venym of the dragon hire morsels.
- 1382 — Wyclif's Bible, Daniel 14:26
[edit] Old Welsh
[edit] Noun
dragon
[edit] Related terms
- pendragon m.
[edit] Swedish
[edit] Noun
| Inflection for dragon | Singular | Plural | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| common | Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite |
| Nominative | dragon | dragonen | dragoner | dragonerna |
| Genitive | dragons | dragonens | dragoners | dragonernas |
dragon c.
Categories: Old French derivations | Latin derivations | Ancient Greek derivations | Word of the day archive | English nouns | Zoology | Obsolete | Astronomy | Pejoratives | Urdu nouns lacking gender | Fantasy | Mythological creatures | Arabic derivations | Dutch nouns | French nouns | French masculine nouns | fr:Animals | Middle English nouns | Old Welsh language | Swedish nouns | sv:Plants | sv:Spices and herbs

