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leonine

adj
/ˈliːənaɪn/UK/ˈliəˌnaɪn/US

Etymology

The adjective is derived from Late Middle English leonin, leonine (“of or pertaining to a person named Leo; specifically Pope Leo IV”), from Latin leōnīnus, from Leo (“man’s name”) (from leo (“lion”): see etymology 1) + -īnus (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’). Etymology 2, adjective sense 2 (“being or relating to a kind of verse with internal rhyme”) is said to refer to a (possibly apocryphal) medieval monk named Leo or Leonius who composed verse with this characteristic; his identity is uncertain, but the composer Léonin (also known as Leo, Leoninus, or Leonius; flourished 1135–1201) has been suggested. Alternatively, the word may refer to Pope Leo II (c. 611–683): see the c. 1760–1761 quotation. The noun is derived from the adjective.

  1. derived from λέων — “lion”
  2. derived from leōnīnus — “of or pertaining to a lion”
  3. derived from leonin
  4. inherited from leonin,leonine — “characteristic of a lion, lionlike”

Definitions

  1. Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a lion

    Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a lion; lionlike.

    • He was of a leonine-coloured haire, sanguinocholerique, middle sized, strong.
    • Ti′ger. […] A fierce beaſt of the leonine kind.
    • Redoubted King, of courage leonine, / I mark thee, Richard!

  2. Of or pertaining to one of the popes named Leo

    Of or pertaining to one of the popes named Leo; specifically (in Leonine City), to Pope Leo IV (r. 847–855) who ordered the building of a wall around Vatican Hill to protect what is now Vatican City, or (in Leonine Prayers) to Pope Leo XIII (r. 1878–1903).

    • The Nineteenth and Tvventieth Days vvere ſpent in ſeeing the Monuments of the Leonine City, the Vatican Church, the Palace and Library.

  3. Being or relating to a kind of medieval Latin verse, generally alternative hexameter and…

    Being or relating to a kind of medieval Latin verse, generally alternative hexameter and pentameter, with rhyming at the middle and end of a line (that is, internal rhyme); also (by extension), of or relating to modern verse having internal rhyme.

    • leonine rhyme
  4. ›+ 4 more definitions

    1. Synonym of Leonine verse (“a kind of medieval Latin verse, generally alternative…

      Synonym of Leonine verse (“a kind of medieval Latin verse, generally alternative hexameter and pentameter, with rhyming at the middle and end of a line (that is, internal rhyme)”).

      • [F]rom the jingling of the Greek couplet juſt before, and ſimilar inſtances of his taſte, I am perſuaded Sir VVilliam intended theſe as Leonines perfect in their kind.

    2. A 13th-century coin minted in Europe and used in England as a debased form of the…

      A 13th-century coin minted in Europe and used in England as a debased form of the sterling silver penny; it was outlawed under Edward I (reigned 1272–1307).

    3. Alternative letter-case form of leonine (“of or pertaining to one of the popes named Leo

      Alternative letter-case form of leonine (“of or pertaining to one of the popes named Leo; being or relating to a kind of medieval Latin verse, generally alternative hexameter and pentameter, with rhyming at the middle and end of a line (that is, internal rhyme)”).

    4. Alternative letter-case form of leonine (“a 13th-century coin minted in Europe and used…

      Alternative letter-case form of leonine (“a 13th-century coin minted in Europe and used in England as a debased form of the sterling silver penny”).

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for leonine. 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