earthdrake
See also: earth-drake
English
Alternative forms
- earth-drake, earth drake
Etymology
From Middle English *erthedrake, from Old English eorþdraca (“earth dragon”), equivalent of earth + drake.
Noun
earthdrake (plural earthdrakes)
- A mythical monster in early Anglo-Saxon literature; a dragon.
- ... he sacrifices his own life in destroying a frightful earthdrake, — William Spalding, The History of English Literature, p. 40, 1876
- 2008, M.C. Halliday, The King's Daughter - Page 196:
- While attempting to remain as true to history as possible, I created a world of witches and wizards, earthdrakes and talking ravens, according to my imagination.
- 2010, Jeff Mariotte, City Under the Sand: A Dark Sun Novel:
- Aric had heard improbable tales of earth drakes eating entire mekillots. Seeing this one, however, he no longer had reason to doubt.
Related terms
- firedrake
- nithedrake
- seadrake
References
Part or all of this entry has been imported from the 1913 edition of Webster’s Dictionary, which is now free of copyright and hence in the public domain. The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.
(See the entry for earthdrake in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.)