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illustration Leonine

Leonine

[LEE-ə-niyn]

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Late Middle English, 1350s

1.

Of or resembling a lion or lions.

Examples of Leonine in a sentence

"The leonine habitat was one of the top attractions at the zoo."

"The actor’s leonine face made him a popular choice for charming villains."

About Leonine

While this word as an adjective developed in Late Middle English by way of Old French, it originally comes from the Latin word “leoninus,” derived from “leo” and “leon” (lion).

Did you Know?

While the word leonine might bring to mind the iconic image of a maned, male lion, they actually do very little in the wild. Instead, the core of a pride (a group of lions) are the females of the group, who are largely responsible for securing most of the food, raising offspring, and guarding territory.

illustration Leonine

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