dragon

dragon
dragon drag"on (dr[a^]g"[u^]n), n. [F. dragon, L. draco, fr. Gr. dra`kwn, prob. fr. de`rkesqai, dra`kein, to look (akin to Skr. dar[,c] to see), and so called from its terrible eyes. Cf. {Drake} a dragon, {Dragoon}.] 1. (Myth.) A fabulous animal, generally represented as a monstrous winged serpent or lizard, with a crested head and enormous claws, and regarded as very powerful and ferocious. [1913 Webster]

The dragons which appear in early paintings and sculptures are invariably representations of a winged crocodile. --Fairholt. [1913 Webster]

Note: In Scripture the term dragon refers to any great monster, whether of the land or sea, usually to some kind of serpent or reptile, sometimes to land serpents of a powerful and deadly kind. It is also applied metaphorically to Satan. [1913 Webster]

Thou breakest the heads of the dragons in the waters. -- Ps. lxxiv. 13. [1913 Webster]

Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. -- Ps. xci. 13. [1913 Webster]

He laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years. --Rev. xx. 2. [1913 Webster]

2. A fierce, violent person, esp. a woman. --Johnson. [1913 Webster]

3. (Astron.) A constellation of the northern hemisphere figured as a dragon; Draco. [1913 Webster]

4. A luminous exhalation from marshy grounds, seeming to move through the air as a winged serpent. [1913 Webster]

5. (Mil. Antiq.) A short musket hooked to a swivel attached to a soldier's belt; -- so called from a representation of a dragon's head at the muzzle. --Fairholt. [1913 Webster]

6. (Zo["o]l.) A small arboreal lizard of the genus Draco, of several species, found in the East Indies and Southern Asia. Five or six of the hind ribs, on each side, are prolonged and covered with weblike skin, forming a sort of wing. These prolongations aid them in making long leaps from tree to tree. Called also {flying lizard}. [1913 Webster]

7. (Zo["o]l.) A variety of carrier pigeon. [1913 Webster]

8. (Her.) A fabulous winged creature, sometimes borne as a charge in a coat of arms. [1913 Webster]

Note: Dragon is often used adjectively, or in combination, in the sense of relating to, resembling, or characteristic of, a dragon. [1913 Webster]

{Dragon arum} (Bot.), the name of several species of {Aris[ae]ma}, a genus of plants having a spathe and spadix. See {Dragon root}(below).

{Dragon fish} (Zo["o]l.), the dragonet.

{Dragon fly} (Zo["o]l.), any insect of the family {Libellulid[ae]}. They have finely formed, large and strongly reticulated wings, a large head with enormous eyes, and a long body; -- called also {mosquito hawks}. Their larv[ae] are aquatic and insectivorous.

{Dragon root} (Bot.), an American aroid plant ({Aris[ae]ma Dracontium}); green dragon.

{Dragon's blood}, a resinous substance obtained from the fruit of several species of {Calamus}, esp. from {Calamus Rotang} and {Calamus Draco}, growing in the East Indies. A substance known as dragon's blood is obtained by exudation from {Drac[ae]na Draco}; also from {Pterocarpus Draco}, a tree of the West Indies and South America. The color is red, or a dark brownish red, and it is used chiefly for coloring varnishes, marbles, etc. Called also {Cinnabar Gr[ae]corum}.

{Dragon's head}. (a) (Bot.) A plant of several species of the genus {Dracocephalum}. They are perennial herbs closely allied to the common catnip. (b) (Astron.) The ascending node of a planet, indicated, chiefly in almanacs, by the symbol ?. The deviation from the ecliptic made by a planet in passing from one node to the other seems, according to the fancy of some, to make a figure like that of a dragon, whose belly is where there is the greatest latitude; the intersections representing the head and tail; -- from which resemblance the denomination arises. --Encyc. Brit.

{Dragon shell} (Zo["o]l.), a species of limpet.

{Dragon's skin}, fossil stems whose leaf scars somewhat resemble the scales of reptiles; -- a name used by miners and quarrymen. --Stormonth.

{Dragon's tail} (Astron.), the descending node of a planet, indicated by the symbol ?. See {Dragon's head} (above).

{Dragon's wort} (Bot.), a plant of the genus {Artemisia} ({Artemisia dracunculus}).

{Dragon tree} (Bot.), a West African liliaceous tree ({Drac[ae]na Draco}), yielding one of the resins called dragon's blood. See {Drac[ae]na}.

{Dragon water}, a medicinal remedy very popular in the earlier half of the 17th century. ``Dragon water may do good upon him.'' --Randolph (1640).

{Flying dragon}, a large meteoric fireball; a bolide. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • dragon — [ dragɔ̃ ] n. m. • 1080; lat. draco I ♦ 1 ♦ Animal fabuleux qu on représente généralement avec des ailes, des griffes et une queue de serpent. ⇒ guivre, hydre, tarasque. Dragon qui crache des flammes. ⇒ chimère. Un dragon gardait les pommes d or… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Dragón — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Para otros usos de este término, véase Dragón (desambiguación). Dragón japonés del siglo XIX El dragón (del latín draco, y éste del …   Wikipedia Español

  • Dragon — bedeutet Drachen in mehreren europäischen Sprachen und bezeichnet: Orte: Dragon (Mississippi) Dragon (Utah) Fließgewässer: Dragon (Fluss), einen Fluss auf der Halbinsel Kap Anamur, Türkei Personen: Friedrich Dragon (* 1929), von 1959 2001… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Dragon 32 — Ein Dragon 32 Heimcomputer Dragon 32, Dragon 64, Dragon 200 Heimcomputer Der Dragon 32 und Dragon 64 waren zwei Homecomputer die Mitte der 80er Jahre produziert wurden. Die beiden Rechner waren in ihrem Aufbau sehr ähnlich zum Tandy TRS 80 Color …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Dragon 32/64 — Ein Dragon 32 Heimcomputer Der Dragon 32 und der Dragon 64 waren zwei Homecomputer die Anfang bis Mitte der 1980er Jahre produziert wurden. Die beiden Rechner waren in ihrem Aufbau dem Tandy TRS 80 Color Computer sehr ähnlich und wurden für den… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Dragon 64 — Ein Dragon 32 Heimcomputer Dragon 32, Dragon 64, Dragon 200 Heimcomputer Der Dragon 32 und Dragon 64 waren zwei Homecomputer die Mitte der 80er Jahre produziert wurden. Die beiden Rechner waren in ihrem Aufbau sehr ähnlich zum Tandy TRS 80 Color …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • dragon — DRAGON. s. m. Espèce de monstre à qui la Fable donne des griffes, des ailes et une queue de serpent. Le dragon qui gardoit le jardin des Hespérides. [b]f♛/b] On appelle fig. et fam. Dragon, Les personnes d humeur fàcheuse et acariâtre. Cette… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie Française 1798

  • Dragon — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Para otros usos de este término, véase Dragón (desambiguación). Clase Dragon Número de tripulantes 3 …   Wikipedia Español

  • Dragon Jr. — Dragon Jr. Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Dragon Jr. Categorías Manga shōnen Frecuencia Mensual Publicador Fujimi Shobō Año de fundación 26 de julio de 1997 Última edición 2003 …   Wikipedia Español

  • dragon — DRAGON. s. m. Espece de serpent qui a des ailes. Le dragon qui gardoit le jardin des Hesperides. On appelle figur. Dragons, Les personnes malignes, d humeur fascheuse & acariastre. Cette femme est un vray dragon. Il se dit aussi des petits… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”