drag´on|like´

drag|on «DRAG uhn», noun.

1. a huge, fierce animal in old stories, supposed to look like a snake or lizard with wings, claws, and scales. Dragons often breathed out fire and smoke.

2. Figurative. a fierce, violent person.

3. Figurative. a very strict and watchful woman; stern chaperon.

4. Figurative. a tyrannical power; evil influence: »

Harder still it has proved to resist and rule the dragon Money, with his paper wings (Emerson).

5. Zoology. any one of various lizards with winglike membranes that can make long, flying leaps; flying dragon; flying lizard.

6. Botany. any one of various plants of the arum family, such as the jack-in-the-pulpit.

7. a large snake, whale, crocodile, or jackal in the Bible.

8. Archaic. a huge snake.

9. an armored tractor: »

tanks, dragons, light and heavy guns.

10. Obsolete. a) a short musket used by mounted infantry. b) a soldier armed with this musket; dragoon.

╂[< Old French dragon, learned borrowing from Latin dracō, -ōnis < Greek drákōn. See etym. of doublet drake². (Cf. ↑drake)]

–drag´on|like´, adjective.

Drag|on «DRAG uhn», noun.

1. Astronomy. the northern constellation Draco.

2. Archaic. Satan: »

The Dragon, put to second rout, Came furious down to be revenged on man (Milton).

╂[< dragon]