Dragon

dragon
from the Latin dracon-em, from the Greek δρακων, -oντα; usually referred to δρακ- strong aorist stem of δερκεσθαι to see clearly
Oxford English Dictionary
Dragon screen saver
Dragon Cutlets used to hang above the stove in the kitchen, and brought success to all cooking endeavours. His place has now been taken by an extractor fan, but his memory lives on. This screen saver of the Dragon Cutlets Mobile is his memorial.
Dragon A fabulous animal and a universal symbolic figure found in the majority of the cultures of the world. A morphological study of the legendary dragon would lead to the conclusion that it is a kind of amalgam of elements taken from various animals that are particularly aggressive and dangerous. The dragon, in consequence, stands for 'things animal' par excellence, and here we have a first glimpse of its symbolic meaning, related to the Sumerian concept of the animal as the 'adversary'. Nevertheless, the dragon - like all other symbols of the instincts in the non-moral religions of antiquity - sometimes appears enthroned and all but deified. Among the characteristics which Pliny, Pascal and other writers ascribe to the dragon are the following particularly interesting points: that it is strong and vigilant, and that it has exceptionally keen eyesight. Hence it was given the function, in clear opposition to its terrible implications, of guarding temples and treasures, as well as being turned into an allegory of prophecy and wisdom.
A Dictionary of Symbols, by J.E.Cirlot
DRAGON (le dragon)
Dragons are very little used in European cookery. They are, however, much prized by the Arabs and Chinese, who regard the claws and the tip of the tail as great delicacies. All recipes for basilisk are suitable for dragon (see BASILISK)
Larousse Gastronomique
Dragon (Chinese) It is perhaps in China that the dragon has been most utilized and has achieved its greatest degree of transfiguration. Here it becomes an emblem of imperial power. Whereas the Emperor numbered the five-clawed dragon among his ornaments, the officials of his court had the right to keep only the four-clawed. The Chinese, when they wish for rain, make a huge dragon out of wood and paper and carry it in procession; but if it does not rain, then they destroy the dragon. Chuang-tzu maintains that this arises from the fact that the dragon and the serpent, invested with the most profound and all-embracing cosmic significance, are symbols for 'rhythmic life'. The fabulous animal becomes the connecting link between the Upper Waters and earth. In esoteric thought, there are dragons which are linked with colour-symbolism: the red dragon is the guardian of higher science, the white dragon is a lunar dragon.
A Dictionary of Symbols, by J.E.Cirlot