lyon
lyon is the obsolete spelling of lion.
Meaning of lion
Noun
lion (plural lions or (rare) lion)
- A big cat, Panthera leo, native to Africa, India and formerly much of Europe.
- Tigers and lions share a common ancestor from a few million years ago.
- A male lion, as opposed to a lioness, which is characterized by having a flowing shaggy mane and taking little part in hunting, which can be done cooperatively.
- Any of various extant and extinct big cats, especially the mountain lion.
- A Chinese foo dog.
- A person who shows attributes associated with the lion, such as strength, courage, or ferocity.
- It was said of [Edward Plantaganet] that ‘he was a lion for pride and ferocity but a pard for inconstancy and changeableness, not keeping his word or promise but excusing himself with fair words’.2003, Peter Armstrong, Angus McBride, Stirling Bridge & Falkirk 1297–98: William Wallace's Rebellion
- A famous person regarded with interest and curiosity.
- During this period, we were the lions of the neighbourhood; and, no doubt, strangers from the distant villages were taken to see the "Karhowrees" (white men), in the same way that countrymen, in a city, are gallanted to the Zoological Gardens.1847 March 30, Herman Melville, Omoo: A Narrative of Adventures in the South Seas; […], London: John Murray, […], →OCLC
Proper noun (1) capitalized: Lyon
Lyon
- The third largest city in France; the capital of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
- Lyon was not a very cheerful town at night. It was a big, heavy, solid-money town, probably fine if you had money and liked that sort of town. For years I had heard about the wonderful chicken in the restaurants there, but we had eaten mutton instead.1964, Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, →OCLC, page 152
- The question is inescapable following the killing in Lyon of nationalist student Quentin Deranque by suspected far-left militants.2026 February 21, Hugh Schofield, “Killing of nationalist student leaves French far left in deep trouble as elections loom”, in BBC, archived from the original on 22 Feb 2026
- A metropolitan authority in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France, outside of Rhône department, which includes the city of Lyon and most of its suburbs; in full, the Metropolis of Lyon.
- A town in Coahoma County, Mississippi, United States, named after the French city.
Proper noun (2) capitalized: Lyon
Lyon
- A surname transferred from the nickname.
- An unincorporated community and township in Franklin County, Missouri, United States.
- A number of other townships in the United States, listed under Lyon Township.
Proper noun (3) capitalized: Lyon
Lyon
- A river in Glen Lyon, Perth and Kinross council area, Scotland, which joins the River Tay; in full, the River Lyon.
Forms of lyon
| Noun | |
|---|---|
| plural | lyons |
| Proper noun | |
| alternative form | Lyons |
| alternative form (obsolete) | Lions |
Origin of lyon
From French Lyon (supplanting earlier Lyons, derived from the Old French nominative form), from the Roman name, Latin Lugdūnum (“fort of Lug”), named after Lugus, a Celtic deity, from Proto-Celtic *Lugus.
From Middle English lyon (“lion”), as a nickname, or from a sign often used outside of roadside inns and adopted as a family name by those who lived there (compare Bush). Doublet of Leo, leu, lev, and lion.
Words formed from lyon
Phrases with lyon
Questions about lyon
- What does lyon mean?
- Lyon means the third largest city in France; the capital of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
- What is lyon the obsolete spelling of?
- Lyon is the obsolete spelling of lion.
- What part of speech is lyon?
- Lyon is a proper noun.
Words near lyon in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: lyon (page history and authors); Lyon (page history and authors); lion (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this entry: “lyon.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/lyon. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.