[lahy-uh
n] 
| 1. | a large, usually tawny-yellow cat, Panthera leo, native to Africa and southern Asia, having a tufted tail and, in the male, a large mane. |
| 2. | any of various related large wildcats, as the cougar. |
| 3. | a man of great strength, courage, etc. |
| 4. | a person of great importance, influence, charm, etc., who is much admired as a celebrity: a literary lion. |
| 5. | the lion as the national emblem of Great Britain. |
| 6. | (initial capital letter) Astronomy, Astrology. the constellation or sign of Leo. |
| 7. | (initial capital letter) a member of any one of the internationally affiliated service clubs (International Association of Lions Clubs) founded in 1917 and dedicated to promoting responsible citizenship, sound government, and community, national, and international welfare. |
| 8. | Numismatics.
|
| 9. | British. an object of interest or note. |
| 10. | beard the lion in its den, to confront or attack someone, esp. a powerful or feared person, in that person's own familiar surroundings. |
| 11. | twist the lion's tail, to tax the patience of or provoke a person, group, nation, or government, esp. that of Great Britain. |
[hahrd-hed] | an alloyed silver coin of Scotland, issued in the 16th and 17th centuries, equal to one and one-half pence and later to twopence. |
| Le·o (lē'ō) n. In all senses also called Lion.
[Latin Leō, from leō, lion; see lion.] |
| li·on (lī'ən) n.
[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin leō, leōn-, from Greek leōn, of Semitic origin; see lb  in Semitic roots.]Word History: Old French lion is the source of English lion, and the Old French word comes from Latin leō, leōnis. After that the etymology is less clear. The Latin word is related somehow to Greek leōn, leontos (earlier *lewōn, *lewontos), which appears in the name of the Spartan king Leonidas, "Lion's son," who perished at Thermopylae. The Greek word is somehow related to Coptic labai, laboi, "lioness." In turn, Coptic labai is borrowed from a Semitic source related to Hebrew lābī' and Akkadian labbu. There is also a native ancient Egyptian word, rw (where r can stand for either r or l and vowels were not indicated), which is surely related as well. Since lions were native to Africa, Asia, and Europe in ancient times (Aristotle tells us there were lions in Macedon in his day), we have no way of ascertaining who borrowed which word from whom. |
lion
In addition to the idiom beginning with lion, also see beard the lion; throw to the wolves (lions).
| LION low energy ion and electron instrument |
