(often initial capital letters ) a woman of somewhat sinister glamour often perceived as wielding ruthless or corrupt power. |
| dragon lady n.
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dragon lady
A domineering or belligerent woman, as in They called her the neighborhood dragon lady
she was always yelling at the children. This slangy term was originally the name of a villainous Asian woman in Milton Caniff's popular cartoon strip Terry and the Pirates (1934-1973), which ran in many newspapers. It was transferred to more general use in the mid-1900s.