[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

dragon \drag"on\ dra^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. zool. 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. zool. 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
      arisaema, a genus of plants having a spathe and
      spadix. see dragon rootbelow.

   dragon fish zool., the dragonet.

   dragon fly zool., any insect of the family
      libellulidae. they have finely formed, large and
      strongly reticulated wings, a large head with enormous
      eyes, and a long body; -- called also mosquito hawks.
      their larvae are aquatic and insectivorous.

   dragon root bot., an american aroid plant arisaema
      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 dracaena 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
      graecorum.

   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 zool., 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
      dracaena draco, yielding one of the resins called
      dragon's blood. see dracaena.

   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
see also:
drake dragoon flying lizard dragon arum arisaema dragon root 
dragon fish dragon fly libellulidae mosquito hawks arisaema dracontium 
dragon's blood calamus calamus rotang calamus draco dracaena draco 
pterocarpus draco cinnabar graecorum dragon's head dracocephalum dragon shell 
dragon's skin dragon's tail dragon's wort artemisia artemisia dracunculus 
dragon tree dracaena dragon water flying dragon 

Pterocarpus >> P Words
Pterocarpus, definition of term: Pterocarpus
pterocarpus_pag1.html

Draco >> D Words
Draco, definition of term: Draco
draco_pag1.html