draconian
/dɹeɪˈkəʊniən/dray-KOH-nee-uhn
/dɹeɪˈkoʊniən/dray-KOH-nee-uhn
Meaningserpent-like; harsh
Common meaning: harsh, severe (after the lawgiver Draco)
- draca large serpentLiddell & Scott, Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon (1889), p. 211 · scan
- onianadjective ending: in the manner of
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Built on Greek δράκων ‘a large serpent’.
Roots
- δράκων Greek “a large serpent”
Related words
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