lion
noun
a large, usually tawny-yellow cat, Panthera leo, native to Africa and southern Asia, having a tufted tail and, in the male, a large mane.
lion
American
[lahy-uhn]
/ ˈlaɪ ən /
noun
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lions
plural
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a large, usually tawny-yellow cat, Panthera leo, native to Africa and southern Asia, having a tufted tail and, in the male, a large mane.
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any of various related large wildcats, as the cougar.
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a man of great strength, courage, etc.
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a person of great importance, influence, charm, etc., who is much admired as a celebrity.
a literary lion.
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the lion as the national emblem of Great Britain.
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Astronomy, Astrology. Leo, the constellation or sign of Leo.
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Leo, a member of any one of the internationally affiliated service clubs International Association of Lions Clubs founded in 1917 and dedicated to promoting responsible citizenship, sound government, and community, national, and international welfare.
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Numismatics.
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a silver, Anglo-Gallic denier, issued during the reign of Henry III, bearing the figure of a lion.
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a gold coin of Scotland, issued c1400–1589, bearing the figure of a lion.
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any of various other coins bearing the figure of a lion.
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British. an object of interest or note.
idioms
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twist the lion's tail, to tax the patience of or provoke a person, group, nation, or government, especially that of Great Britain.
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beard the lion in its den, to confront or attack someone, especially a powerful or feared person, in that person's own familiar surroundings.
lion
1
British
/ ˈlaɪən /
noun
-
a large gregarious predatory feline mammal, Panthera leo, of open country in parts of Africa and India, having a tawny yellow coat and, in the male, a shaggy mane
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a conventionalized lion, the principal beast used as an emblem in heraldry. It has become the national emblem of Great Britain
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a courageous, strong, or bellicose person
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a celebrity or idol who attracts much publicity and a large following
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to approach a feared or influential person, esp in order to ask a favour
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the largest portion
Lion
2
British
/ ˈlaɪən /
noun
lion
More Idioms
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of lion
First recorded before 900; Middle English, from Old French, variant of leon, from Latin leōn- (stem of leō ), from Greek léōn; replacing Middle English, Old English lēo, from Latin, as above
Explanation
A lion is a distant relative of your adorable pet kitten: a large, wild cat found in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Male lions have thick, golden-colored manes around their necks. While the male lion is arguably more striking than the female, it's the females who do nearly all the hunting for a group, or pride, of lions. Tigers are actually larger than lions, making "the king of the beasts" the second-largest wild cat. Because of their strength and power, images of lions are often used as symbols on flags and coats of arms. It's also common to call a strong, courageous person a 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.
See Examples For:
The young mountain lion was spotted wandering along Foothill Boulevard between San Dimas Avenue and San Dimas Canyon Road in the morning, according to the San Dimas Sheriff’s Station.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
The Hubble Space Telescope previously observed the nebula in 2000, imaging the lion face-shaped target in visible light.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026
A mountain lion lounging on the sidewalk under the shade of a tree has shut down a street in San Dimas while wildlife officials rush to the area to capture the animal Friday afternoon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
According to Tama Zoo, Mugi, a three-year-old female lion, had a loss of appetite on 19 July and was unable to stand up the next day.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
“There is no way to know. But it smells as if it grows near the end. So bid farewell to your lion faces.”
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
Astronomers estimate that the Lion Nebula will eventually disperse in approximately 10,000 years.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026
October 29: A 737 MAX 8 operated by Lion Air crashes shortly after taking off from Jakarta, Indonesia, killing all 189 people on board.
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026
Disney’s live-action “Mufasa: The Lion King” opened in 2024 to a middling $35 million, but ended up grossing more than $722 million globally through the holiday season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
Disney has had a number of hugely successful live-action remakes that came out decades after the originals, including “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Lion King,” and last year’s “Lilo & Stitch.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
Her shout rang across the water; birds settling for the night flapped into the sky, and the king roared an answer from Sea Lion Point.
From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr
Elephant seals and sea lions bark and breed on its sandy coves.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
It also can wreak havoc on wildlife, with numerous pelicans and sea lions being poisoned in recent years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
Suraci and colleagues instead focused on the Olympic Peninsula, where mountain lions -- variously known as cougars, pumas or panthers -- have long been established.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
A new study published Wednesday in Current Biology found that on Washington state's Olympic Peninsula, vehicle collisions with deer fall by as much as 76 percent in areas highly frequented by mountain lions.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
Powder monkeys had to be small and fast like real monkeys—and as brave as lions.
From I Survived the American Revolution, 1776 by Lauren Tarshis
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.
