dragon's teeth

plural noun

1. informal.
   conical or wedge-shaped concrete antitank obstacles protruding from the ground in rows: used in World War II
2. sow dragon's teeth
   to take some action that is intended to prevent strife or trouble but that actually brings it about

Word History and Origins

Origin of dragon's teeth¹

sense 2 from the story of Cadmus

Example Sentences

It’s a lot simpler than Poole’s alternative: In The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, he writes, the monsters are “hatched from the dragon’s teeth America sowed in its own soil.”

From Slate

Anti-tank fortifications known as dragon’s teeth, the pyramids are a sign of the new defenses Ukraine is building in the south against an anticipated Russian offensive.

From New York Times

Besides trenches and other barricades, the layered system includes mines and anti-tank obstacles known as “dragon’s teeth,” normally built in advance of fighting.

From Seattle Times

In flat green fields less than half an hour to the east, though, crews scatter pyramid-shaped reinforced cement antitank obstacles known as “dragon’s teeth.”

From Los Angeles Times

Oleksander, an engineer with one company involved in that work, said crews have been digging anti-tank ditches, laying dragon’s teeth and building a network of trenches to keep Russian forces at bay.

From Seattle Times