paper dragon

noun

A hand puppet shaped like the head of a dragon or other animal, usually made from paper or cardboard, with an operational mouth.

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Meanings

nounpaper dragon (plural paper dragons)

plural paper dragons

  1. A hand puppet shaped like the head of a dragon or other animal, usually made from paper or cardboard, with an operational mouth.

    I made a paper dragon (I'll make a better clip later)

    2023 July 18, @rayadraws, Twitter
    1 more example

    Im going to make an ocean / seawing paper dragon, should be done about tomorrow! Edit: It’s done! Posting soon, thinking of posting on yt and TikTok..

    2024 January 6, u/ResourceMost4027, “My first dragon!”, in r/dragon, Reddit

Origin

From paper + dragon. Originated in this sense in around 2021 and popularised on the video-sharing social media service TikTok.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

paper dragon. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/paper%20dragon

MLA

“paper dragon.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/paper%20dragon. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “paper dragon,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/paper%20dragon.

Source: paper dragon on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.