lion

noun

li·​on ˈlī-ən How to pronounce lion (audio)
plural lions
1
a
or plural lion : a large heavily built social cat (Panthera leo) of open or rocky areas chiefly of sub-Saharan Africa though once widely distributed throughout Africa and southern Asia that has a tawny body with a tufted tail and a shaggy blackish or dark brown mane in the male
b
: any of several large wildcats
especially : cougar sense 1
c
capitalized : leo
2
a
: a person felt to resemble a lion (as in courage or ferocity)
b
: a person of outstanding interest or importance
a literary lion
3
capitalized [Lions (club)] : a member of a major national and international service club
lionlike adjective

Examples of lion in a Sentence

the roar of the lion He was a literary lion among the writers of his time.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Out of Africa Wildlife Park provides an intimate look at lions, tigers, hippos, giraffes and plenty more. Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 26 Oct. 2024 Whichever foundry has the latest and greatest technology will win the lion’s share of all the chip designer’s business. Craig Barrett, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2024 Shell’s lucrative gas division has represented the lion’s share of the company’s earnings in the last five years. Byprarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 23 Oct. 2024 The Barbie brand was up against tough comparisons to last year’s third quarter, when Mattel reaped the lion’s share of what was estimated to be a $150 million bump in revenues due to the success of the Barbie movie. Joan Verdon, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for lion 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English lioun, from Anglo-French leun, lion, from Latin leon-, leo, from Greek leōn

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of lion was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near lion

Cite this Entry

“Lion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lion. Accessed 7 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

lion

noun
li·​on ˈlī-ən How to pronounce lion (audio)
plural lion or lions
: a large flesh-eating mammal of the cat family that has a brownish buff coat, a tufted tail, and in the male a shaggy mane and that lives in open or rocky areas of Africa and formerly southern Asia
lionlike adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on lion

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