Emily Dickinson Lexicon

LI'ON, n. [Fr. from L. leo, leonis; Gr. λεων, Arm. leon, W. llew, a lion; llewa, to swallow, to devour.]

1. A quadruped of the genus Felis, very strong, fierce and rapacious. The largest lions are eight or nine feet in length. The male has a thick head, beset with long bushy hair of a yellowish color. The lion is a native of Africa and the warm climates of Asia. His aspect is noble, his gait stately, and his roar tremendous.
2. A sign in the zodiac.