dragon

slang To smoke a controlled substance, often heroin. I can't chase the dragon anymore—I'm trying to get away from that stuff. A: "Yo, you want to chase the dragon with us?" B: "No way, dude. I don't do hard drugs." A: "Troy always seemed like such a nerd. Did he really used to chase the dragon?" B: "Yeah, that's why he 'went away' last year—he was in rehab."

slang Particularly foul-smelling breath. I know I tend to have dragon breath when I wake up, so I usually brush my teeth before I do anything else. My date was really attractive and very funny, but she had horrible dragon breath. Do you have any mints? I'd really rather not go into this meeting with dragon breath.

slang A derogatory term for a woman who is or is seen to be ruthlessly powerful, domineering, or manipulative. Named for the villainess in the comic strip Terry and the Pirates (1934–46), who was known for such traits. Sometimes capitalized. Outside of work, we call her the Dragon Lady for the way she bullies anyone and everyone who is lower than her on the corporate ladder. My uncle is married to a real dragon lady—all she does is yell at him and boss him around. I know the staff sees me as a dragon lady, but I really couldn't care less now that I'm the company's first female CEO!

slang Particularly foul-smelling breath. I know I tend to have dragon mouth when I wake up, so I usually brush my teeth before I do anything else. My date was really attractive and very funny, but good lord, she had horrible dragon mouth. Do you have any mints? I'd really rather not go into this meeting with dragon mouth.

slang Of a male, to urinate. In this phrase, "dragon" is used as a slang term for the penis. Will you order us another round of drinks? I'm just going to go drain the dragon real quick. After my third cup of coffee, I really had to go drain the dragon. The need to drain the dragon aroused me from a sound sleep.

Having foul-smelling breath. The phrase alludes to how dragons breathe fire. Ugh, that guy's definitely got the dragon—his breath reeks! Do you have any mints? I know I've got the dragon after that onion-heavy lunch. Don't come too close—I've got the dragon, and I haven't had a chance to brush my teeth yet.

cliché Said of any situation in which hidden or unforeseen dangers or difficulties may lie. A reference to or imitation of supposed notations made to historical maps indicating parts of the world believed to be inhabited by dragons or similar mythological creatures. We're in uncharted territory in the wake of the economic crisis. For many people, the new motto over the next few years will be "here be dragons." Well, if "here be dragons" deterred me, I never would have started my business! We're a company without a CEO or CFO. "Here be dragons," indeed.

To do something that inadvertently leads to trouble. The phrase refers to Cadmus, a figure in Greek mythology who killed a dragon and, on instructions from Athena, sowed (planted) its teeth. The soldiers that grew from the teeth fought each other until only a few remained. A: "Why did you invite Joe, my sworn enemy, to this party?" B: "Listen, if I had known that I would be sowing dragon's teeth by inviting Joe, I never would have done it!" I guess I sowed dragon's teeth when I complained about my neighbors being too loud because now they won't talk to me.

To do something risky or dangerous. You know dad has a temper, so why are you antagonizing him? Stop tickling the dragon's tail unless you want to be grounded for weeks! Rob is definitely tickling the dragon's tail with his new interest in skydiving.

A domineering or belligerent woman, as in They called her the neighborhood dragon lady-she was always yelling at the children. This slangy term was originally the name of a villainous Asian woman in Milton Caniff's popular cartoon strip Terry and the Pirates (1934-1973), which ran in many newspapers. It was transferred to more general use in the mid-1900s.

A fierce and formidable woman. The term comes from a popular comic strip of the 1930s, “Terry and the Pirates,” which featured such a woman. In the mid-eighteenth century the word dragon alone was used to describe a fierce and violent person of either sex, although by the mid-1800s it was so used only for a woman. Possibly this was the original source for the comic-strip dragon lady.

Having bad breath. Hear the monster bellow, and if you're close enough to smell what's coming out of its mouth, you'll have the picture.