French word

lion

Pronunciation

IPA/ljɔ̃/

Meaning

  • masculine nounlion

Example

On a vu un lion au zoo hier.

We saw a lion at the zoo yesterday.

Illustration for lion (lion)

More examples

Un lion adulte peut peser plus de deux cents kilos.

An adult lion can weigh more than two hundred kilos.

Core concept

A tawny big cat whose adult male commonly has a conspicuous mane.

Common phrases

  • un lion adulte

    an adult lion

  • une photo de lion

    a photo of a lion

Similar words

chat: A small domesticated cat commonly kept as a household pet.
tigre: A large cat with a striped coat.
lionne: A female lion, typically without a mane.

Definition in French

Grand félin carnivore au pelage fauve, le mâle présentant généralement une crinière distincte.

Word origin

French lion comes through Old French from Latin leo, with the stem leon-, and ultimately traces to Greek leōn.

Usage tips

  • French lion is usually pronounced as one syllable, unlike the commonly two-syllable English word lion.

Related words

  • lionceaulion cubnoun
  • lionnelionessnoun

Word lists with this word