lion Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun large gregarious predatory feline of Africa and India having a tawny coat with a shaggy mane in the male
    king of beasts; Panthera leo.
  2. noun a celebrity who is lionized (much sought after)
    social lion.
  3. noun (astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Leo
    Leo.
  4. noun the fifth sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about July 23 to August 22
    Leo the Lion; Leo.

WordNet

Li"on noun
Etymology
F. lion, L. leo, -onis, akin to Gr. . Cf. Chameleon, Dandelion, Leopard.
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) A large carnivorous feline mammal (Felis leo), found in Southern Asia and in most parts of Africa, distinct varieties occurring in the different countries. The adult male, in most varieties, has a thick mane of long shaggy hair that adds to his apparent size, which is less than that of the largest tigers. The length, however, is sometimes eleven feet to the base of the tail. The color is a tawny yellow or yellowish brown; the mane is darker, and the terminal tuft of the tail is black. In one variety, called the maneless lion, the male has only a slight mane. now Panthera leo
  2. (Astron.) A sign and a constellation; Leo.
  3. An object of interest and curiosity, especially a person who is so regarded; as, he was quite a lion in London at that time.
    Such society was far more enjoyable than that of Edinburgh, for here he was not a lion, but a man. Prof. Wilson.

Webster 1913