lion

English Online Dictionary. What means lion‎? What does lion mean?

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. Doublet of Leo, leu, lev, and Lyon.

Pronunciation

• enPR: lī'ən, IPA^(key): /ˈlaɪən/
• Rhymes: -aɪən

Noun

lion (plural lions or lion, feminine lioness)

1. A big cat, Panthera leo, native to Africa, India and formerly much of Europe.
   1. (in particular) A male lion, as opposed to a lioness.
2. (by extension) Any of various extant and extinct big cats, especially the mountain lion.
3. A Chinese foo dog.
4. An individual who shows strength and courage, attributes associated with the lion.
5. A famous person regarded with interest and curiosity.
6. A light brown color that resembles the fur of a lion. (Can we add an example for this sense?)

7. (historical) An old Scottish coin, with a lion on the obverse, worth 74 shillings.

Holonyms

• (individual Panthera leo): pride

Coordinate terms

• (Panthera leo): cougar, leopard, panther, puma, tiger
• (male lion individual): cub, lioness

Derived terms

Related terms

Descendants

• → Hawaiian: liona
• → Japanese: ライオン (raion)
• → Maia: laion
• → Tokelauan: leona

Translations

Adjective

lion (not comparable)

1. 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

• Nilo-, Olin, lino, loin, noil

French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French lion, a semi-learned borrowing from Latin leōnem, from Ancient Greek λέων (léōn).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ljɔ̃/
• (Quebec) IPA^(key): /li.ɔ̃/
• (Quebec)
• Rhymes: -ɔ̃
• Homophones: lions, Lyon

Noun

lion m (plural lions, feminine lionne)

1. (zoology) lion
   1. (specifically) male lion
2. (figuratively) lion (brave person)

   se défendre comme un lion ― to defend oneself with great courage

3. (heraldry) lion
4. (figuratively, dated) lion (celebrity; famous person)
5. (dated) a style of elegant young man that came after the dandy

Derived terms

• avoir mangé du lion
• golfe du Lion
• lion des montagnes
• lionne (“lioness”)
• lionceau (“lion cub”)
• part du lion

Descendants

• Haitian Creole: lyon
• Mauritian Creole: lyon
• Seychellois Creole: lyon

Further reading

• “lion”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• loin

Kabuverdianu

Etymology

From Spanish león.

Noun

lion

1. lion

Krio

Etymology

From English leone.

Noun

lion

1. leone (currency of Sierra Leone)

Middle English

Noun

lion

1. Alternative form of lyoun

Old French

Alternative forms

• leon, leun, liun, lÿon

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)

1. lion (animal)

Descendants

• Middle French: lyon
  • French: lion
    • Haitian Creole: lyon
    • Mauritian Creole: lyon
    • Seychellois Creole: lyon
• Norman: lioun, lion, lliaon, lyõ
• Picard: lion
• → Breton: leon
• → Middle English: lyoun, lion, leon, lioun, lyon, liun, lyoone, leun, lyoon, lyown, lyun, leoun, lyone
  • English: lion (see there for further descendants)
  • Scots: lion
  • Yola: leeoon, leioon

Piedmontese

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /liˈuŋ/

Noun

lion m

1. lion (animal)

   Synonym: leon