Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

dragoon

/dɹəˈɡun/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.65 in modern English

Syllables
dra-goon
IPA
/dɹəˈɡun/
9
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Synonym of dragon (“a type of musket with a short, large-calibre barrel and a flared muzzle, metaphorically exhaling fire like a mythical dragon”).

noun

Originally (historical), a soldier armed with a dragoon musket (noun sense 1.1) who fought both on foot and mounted on a horse; now, a cavalier or horse soldier from a regiment formerly armed with such muskets.

noun

A man with a fierce or unrefined manner, like a dragoon (noun sense 1.2).

noun

A variety of pigeon, originally a cross between a horseman and a tumbler.

verb

To subject (a Huguenot) to the dragonnades (“a policy instituted by Louis XIV of France in 1681 to intimidate Protestant Huguenots to convert to Roman Catholicism by billeting dragoons (noun sense 1.2) in their homes to abuse them and destroy or steal their possessions”).

Transitive verb

verb

Chiefly followed by into: to force (someone) into doing something through harassment and intimidation; to coerce.

Transitive verb

verb

To cause (someone) to be attacked by dragoons.

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

Etymology

The noun is borrowed from French dragon (“dragon (mythological creature); type of cavalry soldier, dragoon”) (originally referring to a soldier armed with the firearm of the same name (noun sense 1.1)), ultimately from Latin dracō (“dragon; kind of serpent or snake”), from Ancient Greek δρᾰ́κων (drắkōn, “dragon; serpent”), possibly from δέρκομαι (dérkomai, “to see, see clearly (in the sense of something staring)”), from Proto-Indo-European *derḱ- (“to see”)). Doublet of Draco, Dracon, dracone, and dragon. The verb is either derived: * from the noun; or * from French dragonner (“to force (someone) into doing something, coerce; to torment (oneself)”), from dragon (noun) (see above) + -er (suffix forming infinitives of first-conjugation verbs).

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: *derḱ-, dragon, dracō, δρᾰ́κων, dragonner

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /dɹəˈɡun/
  • British English: /dɹəˈɡuːn/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Phrases

dragoon bird dragoon pigeon

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce dragoon?
The recorded pronunciation is /dɹəˈɡun/.
What does dragoon mean?
Synonym of dragon (“a type of musket with a short, large-calibre barrel and a flared muzzle, metaphorically exhaling fire like a mythical dragon”).
Where does dragoon come from?
It is traced to French.

How to pronounce dragoon

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “dragoon”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/dɹəˈɡun/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “dragoon”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “dragoon” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.