A looped strap attached to a sword hilt or other object to secure it to the wrist; a wrist loop or cord for a weapon.
From French 'dragonne,' diminutive of 'dragon' (uncertain origin, possibly from 'draguer' meaning to draw). Military terminology adopted from French.
A dragonne is a brilliant medieval innovation—it's essentially a cord loop that lets you drop your sword in battle without losing it, allowing you to grab another weapon or shield hand-free without the weapon falling away from your body.
French '-onne' suffix marks female forms as derived/secondary. In heraldry and military contexts, female variants were marked when women entered spaces previously male-exclusive.
Use 'dragoon' as primary form unless describing a historical female dragoon soldier, where 'dragonne' preserves historical accuracy.
["dragoon (gender-neutral)","female dragoon (when specificity needed)"]
Women served as dragoons throughout European history; gendered terminology obscures their military contributions by treating female participation as exceptional.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.