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lion

noun
/ˈlaɪən/

Etymology

From Middle English lyoun, lion, leon, borrowed from Old French lion, from Latin leō, (accusative: leōnem), from Ancient Greek λέων (léōn), of unclear origin. Doublet of Leo, leu, lev, and Lyon. Displaced Old English lēo, from the same Latin source.

  1. derived from λέων
  2. derived from leō
  3. derived from lion
  4. inherited from lyoun

Definitions

  1. A big cat, Panthera leo, native to Africa, India and formerly much of Europe.

    • Tigers and lions share a common ancestor from a few million years ago.
    • For with ſuch puiſſance and impetuous maine / Thoſe Champions broke on them, that forſt the fly, / Like ſcattered Sheepe, whenas the Shepherds ſwaine / A Lyon and a Tigre doth eſpye, / With greedy pace forth ruſhing from the foreſt nye.
    • Sinibaldus lists lion's fat as a popular medieval aphrodisiac treatment.

  2. Any of various extant and extinct big cats, especially the mountain lion.

  3. A Chinese foo dog.

  4. ›+ 10 more definitions

    1. A person who shows attributes associated with the lion, such as strength, courage, or…

      A person who shows attributes associated with the lion, such as strength, courage, or ferocity.

      • It was said of [Edward Plantaganet] that ‘he was a lion for pride and ferocity but a pard for inconstancy and changeableness, not keeping his word or promise but excusing himself with fair words’.

    2. A famous person regarded with interest and curiosity.

      • Such society was far more enjoyable than that of Edinburgh, for here he was not a lion, but a man.
      • The men were delighted to go, and became the lions of the following season in Adelaide.

    3. A light brown color that resembles the fur of a lion.

    4. An old Scottish coin, with a lion on the obverse, worth 74 shillings.

    5. Of the light brown color that resembles the fur of a lion.

    6. The constellation and zodiacal sign Leo.

      • The Lion reigneth in the Back, Sides, Bones, Sinews and Griſles.
      • Those stars said to belong to the Ram might as well be supposed to belong to the Bull or the Lion.
      • The constellations of the Lion and the Scorpion, there can be no doubt, were appropriate star marks for the summer and autumn seasons, when the spring equinoctial point was in the Bull.

    7. A player for National Football League's Detroit Lions.

    8. A player for Canadian Football League's B.C. Lions.

    9. A player for the England football team.

    10. A player or supporter of the Brisbane Lions.

The neighborhood

Derived

African lion, African Lion Dog, African Lion Hound, American lion, antlion, ant lion, aphid lion, aphis lion, Asian lion, Asiatic lion, Atlas lion, Barbary lion, beard the lion, beard the lion in his den, brave as a lion, Cape lion, cave lion, Cotswold lion, cowardly lion, dandelion, demilion, Essex lion, foo lion, Galapagos sea lion, Galápagos sea lion, golden lion tamarin, guardian lion, jaglion, Japanese sea lion, leopon, liger, liliger, lion ant, lionburger, lion cub, lion cut, lion dance, lion diet, lion dog, lionesque · +64 more

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for lion. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA