Lion

Lion

Noun · /ˈlaɪ.ən/

Definition

A large wild cat (Panthera leo) native to Africa and northwestern India, the male having a distinctive mane; a brave or strong person; a person of importance, celebrity, or influence in a social context (a literary lion); the heraldic symbol used in the arms of England.

Origin

From Old French lion, from Latin leo, leonis, from Greek leōn, from a Semitic source (compare Hebrew ari, Akkadian nēsū). The lion arrived in English through the Norman French of the Conquest. It has been a symbol of royalty, courage, and England since the Plantagenet kings adopted it as their heraldic emblem.