dragonroot

dragonroot [drag-uh n-root, -roo t] ExamplesWord Origin noun

1. See under dragon(def 8).

Origin of dragonroot First recorded in 1615–25; dragon + root1 dragon [drag-uh n] noun

1. a mythical monster generally represented as a huge, winged reptile with crested head and enormous claws and teeth, and often spouting fire.
2. Archaic. a huge serpent or snake.
3. Bible. a large animal, possibly a large snake or crocodile.
4. the dragon, Satan.
5. a fierce, violent person.
6. a very watchful and strict woman.
7. flying dragon.
8. Botany. any of several araceous plants, as Arisaema dracontium (green dragon or dragonroot), the flowers of which have a long, slender spadix and a green, shorter spathe.
9. a short musket carried by a mounted infantryman in the 16th and 17th centuries.
10. a soldier armed with such a musket.
11. (initial capital letter) Astronomy. the constellation Draco.

Origin of dragon 1175–1225; Middle English Old French Latin dracōn- (stem of dracō) Greek drákōn kind of serpent, probably orig. epithet, the (sharp-)sighted one, akin to dérkesthai to lookRelated formsdrag·on·ish, adjectivedrag·on·like, adjective Examples from the Web for dragonroot Historical Examples of dragonroot

Slippery elm or “dragonroot” sticks for cleaning teeth can be got at chemists’ shops as samples.

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British Dictionary definitions for dragonroot dragonroot noun

1. a North American aroid plant, Arisaema dracontium, having a greenish spathe and a long pointed spadix
2. the tuberous root of this plant, formerly used in medicine as an expectorant and diaphoretic

dragon noun

1. a mythical monster usually represented as breathing fire and having a scaly reptilian body, wings, claws, and a long tail
2. informal a fierce or intractable person, esp a woman
3. any of various very large lizards, esp the Komodo dragon
4. any of various North American aroid plants, esp the green dragon
5. Christianity a manifestation of Satan or an attendant devil
6. a yacht of the International Dragon Class, 8.88m long (29.2 feet), used in racing
7. chase the dragon slang to smoke opium or heroin

Derived Formsdragoness, fem ndragonish, adjectiveWord Origin for dragon C13: from Old French, from Latin dracō, from Greek drakōn; related to drakos eye Word Origin and History for dragonroot dragon n.

early 13c., from Old French dragon, from Latin draconem (nominative draco) “huge serpent, dragon,” from Greek drakon (genitive drakontos) “serpent, giant seafish,” apparently from drak-, strong aorist stem of derkesthai “to see clearly,” from PIE *derk- “to see.” Perhaps the literal sense is “the one with the (deadly) glance.”

The young are dragonets (14c.). Obsolete drake “dragon” is an older borrowing of the same word. Used in the Bible to translate Hebrew tannin “a great sea-monster,” and tan, a desert mammal now believed to be the jackal.