Dragonrider

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person who mounts and flies on the back of a dragon, often as a warrior or companion in fantasy stories
2. Someone who travels astride a dragon through the air, typically a character in myth or fantasy literature
3. A rider who controls a dragon in flight, a figure common in fantasy tales and games

Etymology: "Dragonrider" is a plain compound of "dragon" and "rider," and its history is as straightforward as the parts. "Dragon" came into English from Old French "dragon," which in turn came from Latin "draco" and Greek "drakōn," a word for a large serpent. "Rider" is the older component, descended from Old English "ridere," the agent of "ridan," to ride. Put together, a dragonrider is simply one who rides a dragon. Because the compound is transparent, its meaning has never drifted far from the literal sense: a person mounted on a dragon, whether in folklore or in modern fantasy fiction, where the figure has become a familiar character type. The word is best understood as a descriptive coinage built from two everyday English elements rather than a term with a long, separate life of its own.