Definition

1. Noun:
   • A mythical creature: A dragon is a large, serpentine, legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. It is often depicted as breathing fire, having wings, and possessing reptilian or scaly skin.
   • A fiercely vigilant or intimidating person: Informally, a dragon can refer to a person, especially a woman, who is very fierce, formidable, or unpleasant.
   • A type of lizard: A dragon can be a common name for certain lizards, such as the flying dragon (Draco volans), which has winglike membranes for gliding.
   • A constellation: Dragon (capitalized as Draco) is the name of a large constellation in the northern sky.

Examples

• Noun (Mythical Creature):
  • The knight fought the dragon to save the princess.
  • Chinese New Year celebrations often feature dragon dances.
• Noun (Person):
  • His boss is a real dragon about punctuality.
• Noun (Lizard):
  • We saw a flying dragon glide between trees in the rainforest.
• Noun (Constellation):
  • Draco, the Dragon, is a circumpolar constellation.

Advanced Usage

• "Chase the dragon": A slang idiom referring to the act of smoking heroin or opium.
  • The documentary explored the dangers of chasing the dragon.
• "Dragon's den": A place or situation perceived as being full of harsh critics or formidable challenges, popularized by the television show of the same name.
  • Pitching our idea in the boardroom felt like entering a dragon's den.

Variants and Related Words

• Draconian (adj): Excessively harsh and severe (derived from Draco, an ancient Athenian lawgiver, not directly from the mythical creature, but often associated in modern usage with a "dragon-like" severity).
  • The new regulations were criticized as draconian.
• Dragonfly (n): A flying insect with a long body and large eyes, unrelated to the mythical creature but sharing part of the name.
  • A dragonfly landed on the lily pad.

Synonyms

• Mythical Creature: Wyvern, firedrake, leviathan (in some contexts).
• Intimidating Person: Harridan, shrew, ogre, martinet.

Related Phrases

• Sow dragon's teeth: To take an action that is intended to put an end to strife but actually causes it. This phrase originates from the Greek myth of Cadmus.
  • The new policy sowed dragon's teeth, creating more division than unity.

Related Idioms

• Here be dragons: A phrase historically used on maps to indicate uncharted or dangerous territories. Now used metaphorically to denote unknown or risky areas.
  • The contract's fine print is where you'll find the dragons.

Noun

1. any of several small tropical Asian lizards capable of gliding by spreading winglike membranes on each side of the body
2. a faint constellation twisting around the north celestial pole and lying between Ursa Major and Cepheus
3. a fiercely vigilant and unpleasant woman
4. a creature of Teutonic mythology; usually represented as breathing fire and having a reptilian body and sometimes wings