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opinicus

American

[oh-pin-i-kuhs] / oʊˈpɪn ɪ kəs /

noun

a heraldic monster having the head, neck, and wings of an eagle, the body of a lion, and the tail of a bear.

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

opinicuses

plural

Etymology

Origin of opinicus

First recorded in 1770–80; origin uncertain

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 opinicus differs slightly from the griffin, having four lion’s legs instead of two, and the tail is short like that of a camel.

From The Curiosities of Heraldry by Lower, Mark Antony

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.