Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A fabulous beast with the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. In mythology, an imaginary animal supposed to be generated between the lion and the eagle, and to combine the head, front, and wings of an eagle with the body and hind quarters of a lion. This animal was supposed to watch over mines of gold and hidden treasures, and was consecrated to the sun. The figure of the griffin is seen on ancient coins, and is borne in coat-armor. It is also a frequent motive in architectural decoration.
- n. In ornithology, a vulture of the genus Gyps; a griffin-vulture.
- n. Figuratively, a vigilant or repellent guardian; one who stands in the way of free approach or intercourse: in England applied especially to a woman acting as a duenna.
- n. In India and the East generally: A person not familiar with the customs or ways of the country; a new-comer; a novice; a greenhorn.
- n. A racing pony or horse that runs for its first time. Also griff, in both uses.
Wiktionary
- n. A mythical beast having the body of a lion and the wings and head of an eagle.
- n. dated, Anglo-Indian A person who has just arrived from Europe.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. An Anglo-Indian name for a person just arrived from Europe.
- n. (Myth.) A fabulous monster, half lion and half eagle. It is often represented in Grecian and Roman works of art.
- n. (Her.) A representation of this creature as an heraldic charge.
- n. (Zoöl.) A species of large vulture (Gyps fulvus) found in the mountainous parts of Southern Europe, North Africa, and Asia Minor; -- called also
gripe , andgrype . It is supposed to be the “eagle ” of the Bible. The bearded griffin is the lammergeir. - n. An English early apple.
WordNet 3.0
- n. winged monster with the head of an eagle and the body of a lion
Etymologies
- From Old French griffon, from Latin gryphus, from Ancient Greek γρύψ (grups). (Wiktionary)
- Middle English griffoun, from Old French griffon, from grif, from Latin grȳpus, grȳphus, variants of grȳps, grȳp-, from Greek grūps. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“It's one of the big things I took away from the trailer, meaning that, for my money, I think the baby griffin is going to die horribly and leave that kid weeping, struggling to become an adult.”
“The griffin is also used by Saab, and other mythical beasts goaded into service on motor cars must include Alfa Romeo's serpent, Talbot's hunting dog and the Gilbern's Welsh dragon.”
“Interviewer: What do you think of when you hear the word griffin?”
“The griffin is also said to be feirce and untamed.”
“A formidable creature half lion and half eagle, the griffin is said to be one thousand times stronger than any lion and five thousand times as arsighted as an eagle.”
“Firkin & Gryphon - pronounced "griffin" - is expected to open in the fall, said Peter”
“Also, these lyrics were written by kevin griffin, lead singer of better than ezra, and I’m pretty sure he’s not in high school.”
Hope for Haiti Now Telethon Benefit Concert: Tonight, January 22 at 8 PM (Video)
““One other thing: If anyone asks you what a griffin is, you must answer that a griffin is a mythical creature with the head of an eagle and the body of a lion.””
“A griffin was a Eghting animal, almost as fierce as a dragon; unicorns did not normally seek combat with this species.”
“The dive-bombing of a griffin was a thing not even a dragon could afford to ignore.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘griffin’.
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MYTH - spooky creatures
takes the form of a, demon, teeth of iron, unicorn, forest spirit, magical eel, savage humanoid, one-horned animal, creature, headless humanoid, disease-bringing ..., rainbow-feathered... and 607 more...
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•Open List: Flights of Fancy
Fictitious birds. Thanks to PossibleUnderscore for the idea! (Please add a brief description under "Comments" if the creature isn't well-known.)
phoenix, quetzalcoatl, thunderbird, roc, snipe, Roly-Poly Bird, ba, griffin, sphinx, Foghorn Leghorn, Heckle and Jeckle, firebird and 166 more...
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Mythical Beings
mermaid, manticore, fairy, brownie, dwarf, elf, leprechaun, selkie, gremlin, puck, pixie, genie and 97 more...
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the first list
an immense, grandiloquent list that loads like a thousand years sentence in stone. new words are in the other lists.
ridiculous, brummagem, predicament, sanctimonious, vapid, eschew, admonish, auspicious, capitulation, enumerate, lachrymose, tenet and 1648 more...
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Most Obscure Words
acatalectic, acosmism, acuate, acuminate, adscititious, adytum, akratisma, alieniloquy, allelomorph, allochiria, allodium, alnage and 620 more...
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ShuckFinn's Words
abecedarian, conflate, mondegreen, whit, truculent, downright, pugnacious, effluvium, canker, inveigle, obfuscate, melancholy and 227 more...
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harry potter words
quidditch, apparate, disapparate, lumos, snitch, pensieve, dementor, azkaban, wingardium, leviosa, horcrux, bludger and 376 more...
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Studying
parry, palliate, cadge, dissemble, bathos, arrogate, dilatory, ipso facto, ontogeny, recondite, specious, miasma and 90 more...
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Fictional beasties
elf, gnome, dwarf, sprite, troll, fairy, nymph, imp, brownie, sasquatch, yeti, wookiee and 574 more...
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Flora and Fauna
poa annua, pooka, vole, bestiary, popple, turgor, starling, sharpy, copse, coreopsis, clove, corvid and 351 more...
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"A List of His MAJESTY's Ships and Ve...
Boston: Re-Printed and Sold at J. Draper's Printing-Office in Newbury-Street. (Price Sixteen Pence single.)
See the companion list, A LIST of the Men of War the French have left," 174...apollo, deptford, portsmouth, princess royal, scarborough, sutherland, william and mary, mary, fubbs, dublin, charlotte, catherine and 302 more...
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Because I like Them: G --- H
gossypiboma, gymnophoria, ginglyform, goobermensch, gomeril, gump, grinagog, gorbelly, gound, hamesucken, hypobulic, humicubate and 93 more...
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Supernatural
bogeyman, ghost, peri, brownie, gnome, pixie, changeling, gorgon, satyr, djinn, fetch, genie and 12 more...
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bestiary
hippogryph, cockatrice, lamia, basilisk, centaur, cerastes, manticore, mermaid, strix, sphinx, loup garou, echeneis and 34 more...
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figments
denizens of the imagination (non-human, mostly).
an offshoot of animaliabandersnatch, gnome, fairy, elf, troll, ent, hobbit, dwarf, orc, ogre, gollum, basilisk and 78 more...
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Fabulous Creatures
Inspired by a Twitter exchange between Kory Stamper and other lexicographers about mythical beings with "fabulous" in their definitions.
mamuque, hippocampus, hippodame, hippogriff, kraken, cockatrice, griffin, centaur, chichevache, hippocentaur, hircocerf, tragelaphus and 40 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for griffin.

abraxaszugzwang "Pea . . . . tear . . . . griffin. Peter Griffin" Mar 3, 2007