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Leo

1 American  
[lee-oh] / ˈli oʊ /

noun

Leos, plural Leonis genitive
  1. Astronomy. the Lion, a zodiacal constellation between Virgo and Cancer, containing the bright star Regulus.

  2. Astrology.

    1. the fifth sign of the zodiac: the fixed fire sign.

    2. a person born under this sign, usually between July 23rd and August 22nd.

  3. a male given name: from a Greek word meaning “lion.”


LEO 2 American  
Also L.E.O

abbreviation

  1. law enforcement officer.

  2. low earth orbit.


Leo 1 British  
/ ˈliːəʊ /

noun

  1. astronomy a zodiacal constellation in the N hemisphere, lying between Cancer and Virgo on the ecliptic, that contains the star Regulus and the radiant of the Leonid meteor shower

  2. astrology

    1. Also called: the Lion.  the fifth sign of the zodiac, symbol ♌, having a fixed fire classification and ruled by the sun. The sun is in this sign between about July 23 and Aug 22

    2. a person born during a period when the sun is in this sign

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. astrology born under or characteristic of Leo

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
LEO 2 British  

abbreviation

  1. low earth orbit

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Leo 3 British  
/ ˈliːəʊ /

noun

  1. a name for a lion, used in children's tales, fables, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Leo Scientific  
/ lēō /
  1. A constellation in the Northern Hemisphere near Cancer and Virgo. Leo (the Lion) contains the bright star Regulus and is the fifth sign of the zodiac.


Usage

What does Leo mean? Leo is the name of a constellation that is interpreted as representing a lion. It’s sometimes referred to as The Lion. A constellation is a group of stars that appear near each other in the sky—especially a group that has been given a name. Leo is considered one of the 12 zodiacal constellations—constellations that appear within a particular portion of the sky called the zodiac. In astronomy, the zodiac is the band of sky along which the paths of the sun, the moon, and the planets appear to move. Despite its basis in astronomy, the word zodiac is mainly associated with and most often used in the context of astrology, the nonscientific practice in which the positions of heavenly bodies at certain times are thought to influence or be correlated with human behavior and events. In astrology, zodiac refers to a diagram (often a circular one) representing the zodiac belt and showing the symbols associated with each of the 12 constellations or sections, which are called the signs of the zodiac. Leo is one of these signs. It is situated between Cancer and Virgo and is considered the fifth sign of the zodiac. The other signs of the zodiac are Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. The position of the sun in a particular portion of the zodiac at the moment of a person’s birth is thought to correlate with their personality. This is what people are referring to when they talk about their zodiac sign (or star sign or often just sign). People whose sign is Leo are those born between July 23 and August 22. The word Leo can be used as a noun to refer to someone who is born during this time, as in I was born in early August, so I’m a Leo. The word Leonian can be used to mean the same thing. It can also be used as an adjective form of Leo. Leo is also a given name, traditionally a male one. Example: Oh, your birthday is in August? Are you a Leo?

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of Leo

from Latin: lion

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.

The Ducks match the Philadelphia Flyers’ offer sheet for center Leo Carlsson to keep the young star, but put a huge dent into their roster-building efforts.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 10, 2026

Pope Leo XIV made the case for a ban on AI-controlled weapons and autonomous warfare in his papal encyclical letter this spring, warning that AI systems threatened to “normalize an anti-human vision.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 6, 2026

Pope Leo XIV has called on European leaders to rise to the "momentous challenge" of handling migration as he visited the Italian island of Lampedusa.

From BBC • Jul. 4, 2026

Pope Leo XIV on Saturday visits Italy's Lampedusa island, a major port of call for migrants risking the perilous crossing from Africa, in a stark message to US and EU leaders.

From Barron's • Jul. 4, 2026

Leo, Denny, and a few other kids say goodbye to Kumu Maka before getting off the bus.

From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila

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