plural lions
1
a
or plural lion
: a large heavily built social cat (Panthera leo) of open or rocky areas chiefly of sub-Saharan Africa though once widely distributed throughout Africa and southern Asia that has a tawny body with a tufted tail and a shaggy blackish or dark brown mane in the male
b
: any of several large wildcats
especially
: cougar sense 1
c
capitalized
: leo
2
a
: a person felt to resemble a lion (as in courage or ferocity)
b
: a person of outstanding interest or importance
a literary lion
3
capitalized
[Lions (club)]
: a member of a major national and international service club
Synonyms
Examples of lion in a Sentence
the roar of the lion
He was a literary lion among the writers of his time.
Recent Examples on the Web
Associated Press journalists flying over the stunning migration of thousands of antelope last week saw few giraffes and no elephants, lions, or cheetahs.
—
Sam Mednick, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 June 2024
Richard Gadd is swapping deer for lions — and Netflix for HBO — with his latest series deal.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 27 June 2024
The Past Found: One of the earliest signs of ancient human cannibalism
A 1.5-million-year-old hominin bone shows signs that the victim was eaten by lions — and humans.
—Big Think, 24 June 2024
The faux taxidermy lion’s head prowling across Jenner’s dress was, at the time, thought to be a) real, b) a blatant endorsement of trophy hunting, and c) grossly insensitive to just about anyone who cares remotely about animal cruelty.
—Alice Newbold, Vogue, 24 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for lion 
Sam Mednick, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 June 2024
Richard Gadd is swapping deer for lions — and Netflix for HBO — with his latest series deal.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 27 June 2024
The Past Found: One of the earliest signs of ancient human cannibalism
A 1.5-million-year-old hominin bone shows signs that the victim was eaten by lions — and humans.
—Big Think, 24 June 2024
The faux taxidermy lion’s head prowling across Jenner’s dress was, at the time, thought to be a) real, b) a blatant endorsement of trophy hunting, and c) grossly insensitive to just about anyone who cares remotely about animal cruelty.
—Alice Newbold, Vogue, 24 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for lion
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lion.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Lion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lion. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
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