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lion
(redirected from British Lions)

   Also found in: Medical, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.06 sec.
li·on  (ln)
n.
1. A large carnivorous feline mammal (Panthera leo) of Africa and northwest India, having a short tawny coat, a tufted tail, and, in the male, a heavy mane around the neck and shoulders.
2. Any of several large wildcats related to or resembling the lion.
3.
a. A very brave person.
b. A person regarded as fierce or savage.
c. A noted person; a celebrity: a literary lion.
4. Lion See Leo.
Idiom:
lion's share
The greatest or best part.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin le, len-, from Greek len, 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 le, lenis. After that the etymology is less clear. The Latin word is related somehow to Greek len, leontos (earlier *lewn, *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 lb' 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
Noun
1. a large animal of the cat family found in Africa and India, with a tawny yellow coat and, in the male, a shaggy mane
2. a courageous and strong person
3. the lion's share the largest portion [Latin leo]
lioness fem n
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.lionlion - large gregarious predatory feline of Africa and India having a tawny coat with a shaggy mane in the male
lion cub - a young lion
mane - long coarse hair growing from the crest of the animal's neck
big cat, cat - any of several large cats typically able to roar and living in the wild
genus Panthera, Panthera - lions; leopards; snow leopards; jaguars; tigers; cheetahs; saber-toothed tigers
lioness - a female lion
lionet - a small or young lion
pride - a group of lions
2.lion - a celebrity who is lionized (much sought after)
celebrity, famous person - a widely known person; "he was a baseball celebrity"
3.lionLion - (astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Leo
individual, mortal, person, somebody, someone, soul - a human being; "there was too much for one person to do"
astrology, star divination - a pseudoscience claiming divination by the positions of the planets and sun and moon
4.Lion - the fifth sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about July 23 to August 22

lion
noun hero, champion, fighter, warrior, conqueror, lionheart, brave person >> adjective leonine >> female lioness >> young cub >> collective nouns pride, troop
Translations

lion [ˈlaɪən] nleón m
lion [ˈlaɪən] nlion m
lion [ˈlaɪən] nLöwe m
lion [ˈlaɪən] nleone m

lion
n lion [ˈlaiən]
a type of large, flesh-eating animal of the cat family, the male of which has a long, coarse mane. leeuأسَدлъвlev, lviceløveder Löweλιοντάριleón; leonalõviشیر نرleijonalion, lionneאַריֵהसिंहlavoroszlánsingaljónleone, leonessaライオン골프장liūtaslauvasingaleeuwløve, løvinnelewleãoleuлевlev, levicalevlavlejon, lejoninnaสิงโตaslan獅子левشیرsư tử
the lion's share
the largest share. die leeueaandeelحِصَّة الأسَد، الحِصَّه الكبيرَهлъвски пайlví podílbroderpartder Löwenanteilη μερίδα του λέοντοςla parte del leónlõviosaبزرگترین سهمleijonanosala part du lionהָחֵלֶק הָאֲרִיसबसे बड़ा, अच्छा हिस्साlavlji diooroszlánrészbagian terbanyakbróðurparturinnla parte del leone最大の分け前가장 큰 몫didžiausia dalislauvas tiesabahagian yang paling besarleeuwedeelbrorpartenlwia częśća maior porçãopartea leu­luiльвиная доляleví podiellevji deležlavovski deolejonpartenหุ้นใหญ่สุดen büyük pay最大的份額левова часткаسب سے بڑا، بہترین حصہphần lớn nhất份额

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? Mentioned in ? References in periodicals archive
 
The network will continue televising a selection of rugby events through October that will include the British Lions Tour, Tri-Nations and the National Provincial Championship.
He captained the British Lions on their tour to New Zealand in 1993 as well as Scotland on 20 occasions, the most historic being their victory over France in Paris for the first time in 26 years.
 
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