griffin
noun
a fabled monster, usually having the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion.
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griffin 2.
griffin
1 American
[grif-in]
/ ˈgrɪf ɪn /
Also
griffon,
noun
Classical Mythology.
griffin
2
American
[grif-in]
/ ˈgrɪf ɪn /
noun
Griffin
3
American
[grif-in]
/ ˈgrɪf ɪn /
noun
-
a city in W Georgia.
-
a male given name.
griffin
1
British
/ ˈɡrɪfɪn /
noun
griffin
2
British
/ ˈɡrɪfɪn /
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of griffin1
1300–50; Middle English griffoun < Middle French grifon < Latin grȳphus < Greek grȳp- (stem of grȳ́ps ) “curled, curved, having a hooked nose”
Origin of griffin2
First recorded in 1785–95; origin uncertain
Explanation
If your little brother wants a pet griffin, you should probably try to talk him out of it. A griffin is a flying, eagle-headed lion with sharp talons. (Luckily for you, griffins aren't real.) The mythical griffin — also spelled gryphon or griffon — dates as far back as 3000 BCE. Some griffins have the front talons of an eagle, like the griffins that appear on shields or coats-of-arms — they were often used this way, since the combination of lion and eagle was seen as being especially brave and strong. Griffins appear in literature ranging from Rumi's ancient Persian poetry to the Harry Potter books. The word's Greek root is gryps, "curved."
Vocabulary lists containing griffin
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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Reading: Literature - Mythology - Introductory
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Reading: Literature - Mythology - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
On the left arm, the mythical griffin creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle appears to be fighting with a stag.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2025
You can’t have a lot of body horror in a kid’s movie, but you can have a topiary griffin who torrentially evacuates dead leaves across the backyard in a beautiful, disgusting arc.
From Slate ● Sep. 20, 2018
At first she believed it to be some kind of mythical creature, a California version of a minotaur or a griffin.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2018
An oaken door leads down to this medieval-like subterranean space with a Bayeux-esque tapestry of dead patricians and a griffin.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 6, 2016
She whispered to the griffin as she worked.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
Chief Executive Scott Griffin is also looking into solar and carbon markets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
A spokesman for Griffin demurred when asked whether the billionaire had any thoughts about the council.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
"It's not just the examination. It might be reading files of hospital notes or talking to clinicians," says Dr Kathryn Griffin, an NHS pathologist in Leeds.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
And just as importantly – how many people, let alone children, know or care who Ken Griffin is?
From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026
The night before I’m to go to Killaloe Laman Griffin comes home drunk and eats a great bag of fish and chips at the table.
From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
