dragon's teeth
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.09 in modern English
17
Scrabble Score
12
Letters
3
Syllables
10
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Square-pyramidal fortifications of reinforced concrete to impede the movement of tanks and mechanised infantry.
noun
A series of triangular road surface markings painted on each side of a traffic lane, used for traffic calming or to alert drivers to a speed limit.
Australian usage; New Zealand usage; British usage
noun
Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see dragon, tooth.
Example Sentences
- "Experiments showed that twenty-five to fifty pounds of explosives often was needed to break a single dragon's tooth, and large pillboxes required half a ton."
- "“Dragon’s teeth have likely been installed between Mariupol and Nikolske village; and from northern Mariupol to Staryi Krym village. […] Dragon’s teeth have additionally been sent for the preparation of defensive fortifications in occupied Zaporizhzhia and Kherson,” the intelligence assessment said."
- "The new line markings – known internationally as dragon's teeth – are designed to make sure motorists know they are entering a 40kmh school zone. […] "It's our aim to get these new dragon's teeth out on our streets as quickly as possible, which is why we'll be enlisting the help of several different crews around the state to get started on this massive rollout.""
- "Dragon's teeth are distinguished by a stretch of road marked by triangles on each side of the lane and have been used in Australia for over a decade, while they can also be found in places like New Zealand, the UK and Spain. (...) In a 2021 Qatar University report, researchers said that visual road markings like dragon’s teeth are one of the most effective road safety measures due to their “perceptual road-narrowing effect” that “stimulates drivers to reduce their speed limit”."
Usage
- Australian usage
- New Zealand usage
- British usage
Inflected Forms
dragon's tooth (singular)
Phrases
Frequently Paired Words
Czech hedgehog
shark's teeth