Dragon, drag′un, n. a fabulous winged serpent: the constellation Draco: a fierce person: the flying lizard of the East Indies.—ns. Drag′onet, a little dragon: a genus of fishes of the goby family; Drag′on-fly, an insect with a long body and brilliant colours.—v.t. Drag′onise, to turn into a dragon: to watch like a dragon.—adjs. Drag′onish, Drag′on-like.—n. Drag′onism, watchful guardianship.—adj. Dragonné (her.), like a dragon in the hinder part, and a lion or the like in the fore part.—ns. Drag′on's-blood, the red resinous exudation of several kinds of trees in the W. and E. Indies, used for colouring; Drag′on's-head, a plant of genus Dracocephalum, of the mint family (Labiatæ): (her.) tenné or tawny when blazoning is done by the heavenly bodies; Drag′on-shell, a cowry; Drag′on's-wort, tarragon or snake-weed; Drag′on-tree (same as Dracæna). [Fr.,—L. draco, draconis—Gr. drakōn, from aorist of derk-esthai, to look.]
Dragonnade, drag-on-ād′, n. the persecution of French Protestants under Louis XIV. by raids of dragoons: abandonment of a place to the violence of soldiers. [Fr., from dragon, dragoon.]
Dragoon, dra-gōōn′, n. formerly a soldier trained to fight either on horseback or on foot, now applied only to heavy cavalry as opposed to hussars and lancers.—v.t. to give up to the rage of soldiers: to compel by violent measures.—n. Dragoon′-bird, the umbrella-bird. [Fr. See Dragon.]
Dragsman. See Drag.
Drail, drāl, n. the iron bow of a plough from which the traces draw: a piece of lead round the shank of the hook in fishing.—v.i. to draggle.
Drain, drān, v.t. to draw off by degrees: to filter: to clear of water by drains: to make dry: to drink dry: to exhaust.—v.i. to flow off gradually.—n. a watercourse: a ditch: a sewer: (slang) a drink: exhausting expenditure.—adj. Drain′able.—ns. Drain′age, the drawing off of water by rivers or other channels: the system of drains in a town; Drain′age-basin, the area of land which drains into one river; Drain′age-tube, a tube of silver, india-rubber, glass, &c., introduced by a surgeon into a wound or abscess to draw off pus, &c.; Drain′er, a utensil on which articles are placed to drain; Drain′ing-en′gine, a pumping-engine for mines, &c.; Drain′ing-plough, a form of plough used in making drains; Drain′-pipe; Drain′-tile; Drain′-trap, a contrivance for preventing the escape of foul air from drains, but admitting the water into them. [A.S. dréahnigan—dragan, to draw.]
Drake, drāk, n. the male of the duck.—n. Drake′stone, a flat stone thrown along the surface of water so as to graze it and then rebound. [Ety. dub.; cf. prov. Ger. draak; O. High Ger. antrahho, Ger. enterich, the first element usually explained as eend, end, anut, 'duck.']
Drake, drāk, n. a dragon: a fiery meteor: a beaked galley, or Viking ship of war: an angler's name for species of Ephemera. [A.S. draca, dragon—L. draco.]
Dram, dram, n. a contraction of Drachm: 1⁄16th of an oz. avoirdupois: formerly, with apothecaries, ⅛th of an oz.: as much raw spirits as is drunk at once.—v.i. to drink a dram.—v.t. to give a dram to.—ns. Dram′-drink′er; Dram′-shop. [Through Fr. and L., from Gr. drachmē. See Drachma.]
Drama, dram′a, n. a story of human life and action represented by actors imitating the language, dress, &c. of the original characters: a composition intended to be represented on the stage: dramatic literature: theatrical entertainment: a series of deeply interesting events.—adjs. Dramatic, -al, belonging to the drama: appropriate to or in the form of a drama: with the force and vividness of the drama.—adv. Dramat′ically.—n. Dramat′icism.—adj. Dram′atīsable.—n. Dramatisā′tion, the act of dramatising: the dramatised version of a novel or story.—v.i. Dram′atīse, to compose in, or turn into, the form of a drama or play.—n. Dram′atist, a writer of plays.—Dram′atis persō′næ (-ē), the characters of a drama or play. [L.,—Gr. drama, dramatos—draein, to do.]