# lion

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈlaɪən/ · frequency rank #4,686

## Definitions
1. A big cat, Panthera leo, native to Africa, India and formerly much of Europe.
2. A big cat, Panthera leo, native to Africa, India and formerly much of Europe.
3. Any of various extant and extinct big cats, especially the mountain lion.
4. A Chinese foo dog.
5. A person who shows attributes associated with the lion, such as strength, courage, or ferocity.
6. A famous person regarded with interest and curiosity.
7. A light brown color that resembles the fur of a lion.
8. An old Scottish coin, with a lion on the obverse, worth 74 shillings.

## Etymology
From Middle English lyoun, lion, leon, borrowed from Old French lion, from Latin leō, (accusative: leōnem), from Ancient Greek λέων (léōn), of unclear origin. Doublet of Leo, leu, lev, and Lyon. Displaced Old English lēo, from the same Latin source.

## Easily confused with
- **lo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lion-vs-lo)
- **LN** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lion-vs-ln)
- **lot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lion-vs-lot)
- **low** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lion-vs-low)
- **lol** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lion-vs-lol)
- **los** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lion-vs-los)
- **log** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lion-vs-log)
- **lit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lion-vs-lit)
- **lip** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lion-vs-lip)
- **Lou** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lion-vs-lou)
- **Liz** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lion-vs-liz)
- **Liu** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lion-vs-liu)
- **Liv** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lion-vs-liv)
- **loo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lion-vs-loo)
- **LOC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lion-vs-loc)
- **Lon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lion-vs-lon)
- **lis** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lion-vs-lis)
- **lyn** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lion-vs-lyn)
- **lob** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lion-vs-lob)
- **loa** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lion-vs-loa)

## Common misspellings (3)
`ilon`, `lionn`, `llion`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/lion