sea lion

American  

noun

sea lions plural

1. any of several large eared seals, as Eumetopias jubatus Steller's sea lion, of the northern Pacific Ocean, and Zalophus californicus California sea lion, of the Pacific coast of North America.

2. Heraldry. a monster having the forepart of a lion, webbed forepaws, and the dorsal fin and tail of a fish.

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sea lion British  

noun

1. any of various large eared seals, such as Zalophus californianus ( Californian sea lion ), of the N Pacific, often used as a performing animal

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• sea lions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of sea lion

First recorded in 1595–1605

Example Sentences

The finals day of the World Surf League's New Zealand Pro event was paused after a photographer was attacked in the water by a sea creature that organisers believe was a shark or sea lion.

From BBC • May 25, 2026

Stellar sea lion pups are born from mid-May to mid-July and usually weigh 35 to 50 pounds, according to the center.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026

A few years back, a sea lion jumped into a South End rowboat.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

Wait for June, when I’ll start barking like a sea lion about the thrill of seeing Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Lionel Messi’s presumed Argentina finale and the very iffy hopes of the U.S. men’s team.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

Nim clung tight, till she was half sea lion and half girl, and all of her was part ocean.

From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr