dragoon (dragon)

[Introduced Mil. Encyc. toward the end of the 17th century draigle (drā'gl), v.; pret. and pp. draigled, ppr. (formerly also dragooner = D. dragon- draigling. A dialectal form of draggle. der = G. dragoner = Dan. Sw. dragon ), drailt (dral), v. [A contr. of draggle (cf. drawl ), = It. dragone , in this sense after F.), a dragoon, so called, it is said, "from dragon, a short species of carbine carried by the original dragoons raised by Marshal Bri ac in 1554, on the muzzle of which, from the old fable that the dragon spouts fire, the head of the monster was worked"; but Littré dates the sense 'dra goon' from 1585, and the name probably arose from dragon in the sense of 'standard': seedrag- on, 6.] 1. A cavalry soldier. Originally dragoons were a mongrel force, a sort of mounted infantry, armed with musquetoons or carbines, and serving on foot as well as on horseback; but now they serve as cavalry only. In the British army they are cla ed as heavy or light dra- goons, according to the weight of men, horses, and equip- ments. The term is not used in the United States army. Reports and judgments will not do 't, But 'tis dragoons , and horse and foot. trans. To trail; drag. He returned towards his sheep on the top of the hill, drailing his sheep hook behind him. Dr. H. More, Epistles to the Seven Churches, To the [Reader. II. in trans. To be trailed or dragged. If we would keep our garment clean, it is not sufficient to wash it only, unle we have a continual care to keep it from drailing in the dirt. South , Sermons, VI. 449.