dragon's teeth

singular dragon's tooth

1. pluralplural normallygovernmentSquare-pyramidal fortifications of reinforced concrete to impede the movement of tanks and mechanised infantry.

   Experiments showed that twenty-five to fifty pounds of explosives often was needed to break a single dragon's tooth, and large pillboxes required half a ton.

   2013, Rick Atkinson, The Guns at Last Light: The War in Western Europe, 1944–1945 (The Liberation Trilogy; 3), New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, →ISBN, page 251

   1 more example

   “Dragon’s teeth have likely been installed between Mariupol and Nikolske village; and from northern Mariupol to Staryi Krym village. […] Dragon’s teeth have additionally been sent for the preparation of defensive fortifications in occupied Zaporizhzhia and Kherson,” the intelligence assessment said.

   2022 November 8, Peter Beaumont, “Russia installs ‘dragon’s teeth’ barriers to slow advance of Ukrainian forces”, in The Guardian

2. AustraliaNew ZealandUKpluralplural normallyroadA series of triangular road surface markings painted on each side of a traffic lane, used for traffic calming or to alert drivers to a speed limit.

   2 more examples

   The new line markings – known internationally as dragon's teeth – are designed to make sure motorists know they are entering a 40kmh school zone. […] "It's our aim to get these new dragon's teeth out on our streets as quickly as possible, which is why we'll be enlisting the help of several different crews around the state to get started on this massive rollout."

   2009 May 24, Lisa Carty, “Dragon's teeth to guard school zones”, in The Sydney Morning Herald

   Dragon's teeth are distinguished by a stretch of road marked by triangles on each side of the lane and have been used in Australia for over a decade, while they can also be found in places like New Zealand, the UK and Spain. (...) In a 2021 Qatar University report, researchers said that visual road markings like dragon’s teeth are one of the most effective road safety measures due to their “perceptual road-narrowing effect” that “stimulates drivers to reduce their speed limit”.

   2025 January 30, Ethan Cardinal, “‘Never seen them before’: The little-known road marking found in Australia”, in drive.com.au

3. pluralplural normallyLotus maritimus, a plant in the legume family.
4. pluralplural normallyUsed other than figuratively or idiomatically: see dragon, tooth.