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

See Examples For:

sea lion

He noted the peninsula had once been home to animals such as pronghorn, sea otter, North American porcupine, Humboldt marten, gray wolf, American black bear, grizzlies, northern fur seal and Steller sea lion.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

Diving in the sapphire waters around it is the increasingly scarce Australian sea lion.

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

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

He even starts to teach me how to stall the ball on my shoulder blades and on my forehead, too, like a sea lion doing tricks at the aquarium.

From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina