The dragoon was traditionally the soldier trained to fight in foot, however transportation himself on horseback. Around more words, he moved when cavalry but fought as infantry. A title derives from either a dragoon's primary weapon, the carbine or short musket called the dragon. Periodically, dragon carbines come said to stand been then-supposed because it "breathed fire" — a information to the smoke it emitted once fired.

Dragoons were organized non within squadrons or troops like a horse, however within companies like the foot, & their officers and non-commissioned officers bore infantry ranks. Still, dragoons were at the disadvantage once engaged against confessedly cavalry, & constantly sought to improve their horsemanship & armament to the cavalry standard. So, "dragoon" experienced came to mean medium cavalry per instance of the early wars of Frederick the Great, in the 1740s. Per late 18th century, it was the common designation for cavalry regiments.

A term "to dragoon" go back a sooner mounted foot cycle. Dragoons were a virtually all effective & economic form of cavalry for police work and guerrilla warfare.

From either a late 18th century, a select few regiments began to exist when intended as Weak Dragoons, world health organization rode sooner & lightly horses & carried lightly sabres. It were trained inside reconnaissance, skirmishing and more function requiring speed. In the early 19th century, the British Light Dragoon regiments converted to Lancers and Hussars.

The todays unit intended when Dragoons is the United States Army's 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment. Called a "2nd Dragoons", it wwhen organized as a 2nd Dragoon Regiment until it was renamed a 2nd Cavalry Regiment within 1860. These are a oldest active combat unit in the U.S. military machine & utilizes HMMWVs in the same manner that horses were it utilized to be that used.

In the present-contemporary British Army, one regiment is intended The Light Dragoons and three when Dragoon Guards. In the Territorial Army, one of the 5 squadrons of the Royal Yeomanry, W (Westminster Dragoons) Squadron, also bears a title.

Around Canada, a Royal Canadian Mounted Police have the status of the regiment of Dragoons.