dragon's blood
- noun
- /ˈdræɡənz blʌd/
:
sangre de dragón
- The photoengraving technique relies on dragon's blood to enhance the depth of the images.
Examples
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One day, I promise you, we shall drink dragon's blood from the victor's cup.
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No, my lady, diarmadh-'iIn do not murder children, trap innocent spirits inside mirrors, drink dragon's blood, or set fire to mountains.
Fiction book (1992) -
He thought of the pet shop under Kim's apartment and the shelf of dragon's blood and the blood in Rudy's car.
Fiction book (1992) -
The artist used dragon's blood resin to create a rich, glossy finish on the woodwork.
-
Traditional healers often prescribe dragon's blood for its supposed medicinal properties.
Synonyms
A natural sticky resin from tropical trees used to make varnish
The red sticky sap that comes out of some trees and is used as a dye
A reddish or black sticky juice from some trees used in medicine and tanning
A sticky natural substance from Australian trees that dissolves in alcohol and helps make varnish and stronger paper
A resin from some Australian trees that dissolves in alcohol and helps make varnish and paper
A sticky natural substance from some Australian trees that makers use for varnish and paper
A natural resin from Australian trees used to make varnish and paper
A yellow sticky substance from some Australian trees used to make varnishes and paper
Surface Forms
Morphology
dragon's + blood
The phrase evokes a red fluid (dragon + blood) so a B1 learner would likely infer it denotes a reddish substance, but the specific referent — a dark red resin from certain trees used in varnishes and medicines — is not directly derivable from the parts. Because the constituents give a partial clue (a red substance) but not the precise, conventionalized meaning, this is best classified as semi-transparent.
Etymology
The noun dragon's blood may come from a simple image: long ago people saw thick red sap running from certain trees and imagined it was the blood of a dragon. So today dragon's blood means 'a deep red resin' used as a varnish and in medicines.
