To "dragoon" means to force someone to do something or to coerce. The term originated with a type of firearm and was later applied to a cavalryman.
El verbo "dragoon" significa forzar a alguien a hacer algo o coaccionar. El término se originó con un tipo de arma de fuego y luego se aplicó a un soldado de caballería.
| Front | dragoon \druh-GOON\ |
|---|---|
| Back | verb tr. To force someone to do something; coerce. [From French dragon (dragon, to dragoon). This is a good example of how a term transferred from an object to a people to an action. Originally it referred to the firearms, either from the fact that they breathed fire like a dragon or from the shape of the pistol hammer. Eventually it began to be applied to a European cavalryman armed with a carbine. Today the term is used in the sense of forcing someone to do something against his or her will.] "Canadians should not be dragooned into going down the same garden path. We should say no to no-fly lists." - Ground Canada's No-fly List Now; The Gazette (Montreal, Canada); Jan 16, 2007. |
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