Historical military term for a mounted infantryman, originally from European armies. Used in historical or fantasy contexts.
Dragoons of the Napoleonic era moved on horseback and fought dismounted in battle.
騎兵 is a general term for cavalry, while 竜騎兵 specifically refers to dragoons, a type of mounted infantry.
Standard modern kanji form using 竜.
Variant using the traditional 龍 character; less common in modern usage.
Compound of 竜 (dragon) and 騎兵 (cavalry), likely a calque from European languages (e.g., English 'dragoon', French 'dragon'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain.