Other forms: dragons
A dragon is a huge winged reptile of legend that breathes fire. In European stories it guards treasure and is killed by a knight; in Chinese tradition it is a serpent without wings, brings rain, and is thoroughly benevolent.
That difference between the Western monster and the Eastern spirit is the most useful thing to know about the word, because the same English noun covers both and the connotations are opposite. In ordinary speech a dragon can also mean a fierce, intimidating woman, usually an older one guarding a door or an office — a use that is dated and unkind. Note dragonfly, which is a real insect, and snapdragon, which is a flower.
1noundragonA huge winged reptile of legend that breathes fire.
“The dragon sleeps on a pile of gold.”
2nounchineseIn Chinese tradition, a long serpent-like creature associated with water and good fortune.
“A dragon dance opens the new year.”
3nounfierceA fierce, intimidating woman — a dated and unkind use.
“There is a dragon on the front desk who will not let you past.”
Too few real examples of this word to estimate which sense is commonest.
dragon is a legendary creature.
Greek drakon meant a huge serpent, and it comes from a verb meaning to see clearly or watch — the sharp-eyed one. The dragon was named for its stare before it was named for its fire, and the treasure-guarding is in the word from the start.
Middle English
dragoun
English, today
dragon
Built from
From Middle English dragoun. From Middle English dragoun, borrowed from Old French dragon, from Latin draco, from Ancient Greek δράκων (“a serpent of huge size, a python, a dragon”), probably from δέρκομαι (“to see clearly”). Displaced Old English wyrm, whence modern worm. Mostly displaced Old English draca (whence modern drake)—from the same Latin source, as are a doublet of Draco and Dracon and dracone and dragoon.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA