lion
English
Alternative forms
- lyon (obsolete)
Etymology
From Middle English lyoun, lion, leon, borrowed from Old French lion, from Latin leō, (accusative: leōnem), from Ancient Greek λέων (léōn). Some argue that it is a borrowing from a Semitic language; however evidence is not clear and the relation with Proto-Semitic *labiʾ- is not solid. Semitic "labi/lavi" could either be a parent term to the Greek one or both could have evolved independently from a now lost root.
Pronunciation
Noun
lion (plural lions or lion, feminine lioness)
- A big cat, Panthera leo, native to Africa, India and formerly to much of Europe. The term may apply to the species as a whole, to individuals, or to male individuals. It also applies to related species like mountain lions.
- Tigers and lions share a common ancestor from a few million years ago.
- 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 14, page 311:
- 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.
- A male lion.
- (heraldry) A stylized representation of a large cat, used on a coat of arms.
- A Chinese foo dog.
- An individual who shows strength and courage, attributes associated with the lion.
- 2003, Peter Armstrong and Angus McBride, Stirling Bridge & Falkirk 1297–98: William Wallace's Rebellion:
- 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'.
- 2003, Peter Armstrong and Angus McBride, Stirling Bridge & Falkirk 1297–98: William Wallace's Rebellion:
- A famous person regarded with interest and curiosity.
- (Can we date this quote by Prof. Wilson and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- Such society was far more enjoyable than that of Edinburgh, for here he was not a lion, but a man.
- 1919, W. Somerset Maugham, The Moon and Sixpence, ch. 4
- Rose Waterford was a cynic. She looked upon life as an opportunity for writing novels and the public as her raw material. Now and then she invited members of it to her house if they showed an appreciation of her talent and entertained with proper lavishness. She held their weakness for lions in good-humoured contempt, but played to them her part of the distinguished woman of letters with decorum.
- (Can we date this quote by Prof. Wilson and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- A light brown color that resembles the fur of a lion. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
- lion:
- (historical) An old Scottish coin, with a lion on the obverse, worth 74 shillings.
Holonyms
- (individual Panthera leo): pride
Coordinate terms
Derived terms
Related terms
Descendants
Translations
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Adjective
lion (not comparable)
- Of the light brown color that resembles the fur of a lion.
See also
- lion on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
- Panthera leo on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
- Category:lion on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons
- Appendix:Animals
- Appendix:English collective nouns
Anagrams
French
Etymology
From Old French lion, a semi-learned borrowing from Latin leō, leōnem, from Ancient Greek λέων (léōn).
Pronunciation
Noun
lion m (plural lions, feminine lionne)
- (zoology) lion
- (specifically) male lion
- (figuratively) lion (brave person)
- Se défendre comme un lion, - to defend oneself with great courage
- (heraldry) lion
- (figuratively, dated) lion (celebrity; famous person)
- (dated) a style of elegant young man that came after the dandy
Related terms
Descendants
Further reading
- “lion”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Anagrams
Kabuverdianu
Etymology
Noun
lion
Old French
Alternative forms
Etymology
Semi-learned borrowing from Latin leō, leōnem, derived from Ancient Greek λέων (léōn).
Noun
lion oblique singular, m (oblique plural lions, nominative singular lions, nominative plural lion)
- lion (animal)
Descendants
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Latin
- English terms derived from Ancient Greek
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- Rhymes:English/aɪən
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English terms with usage examples
- English terms with quotations
- en:Heraldic charges
- Requests for date/Prof. Wilson
- English terms with historical senses
- English adjectives
- English uncomparable adjectives
- English basic words
- en:Browns
- en:Male animals
- en:Panthers
- en:People
- French terms inherited from Old French
- French terms derived from Old French
- French terms borrowed from Latin
- French learned borrowings from Latin
- French terms derived from Latin
- French terms derived from Ancient Greek
- French 1-syllable words
- French terms with IPA pronunciation
- French terms with audio links
- Rhymes:French/ɔ̃
- French terms with homophones
- French lemmas
- French nouns
- French countable nouns
- French masculine nouns
- fr:Zoology
- fr:Heraldic charges
- French dated terms
- fr:Panthers
- fr:Male animals
- Kabuverdianu terms derived from Spanish
- Kabuverdianu lemmas
- Kabuverdianu nouns
- Old French terms borrowed from Latin
- Old French learned borrowings from Latin
- Old French terms derived from Latin
- Old French terms derived from Ancient Greek
- Old French lemmas
- Old French nouns
- Old French masculine nouns
- fro:Animals