Illustration of griffin
griffin
noun
grif·fin ˈgri-fən 
variants or griffon or less commonly gryphon
: a mythical animal typically having the head, forepart, and wings of an eagle and the body, hind legs, and tail of a lion
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web The Dreaming has two gates — one of horn and one of ivory, built from the bones of ancient gods that picked a fight with Dream eons ago — and is usually guarded by three gatekeepers: a wyvern, a griffin, and a hippogriff. 
Christian Holub, EW.com, 26 July 2022 Hart said the debate over the griffin missed the bigger picture. Ryan J. Foley, USA TODAY, 17 Sep. 2021 Hart said the debate over the griffin missed the bigger picture. NBC News, 17 Sep. 2021 Supporters of the griffin, including the Back the Blue group, framed its removal as an affront to officers. Ryan J. Foley, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Sep. 2021 Supporters of the griffin, including the Back the Blue group, framed its removal as an affront to officers. NBC News, 17 Sep. 2021 Supporters of the griffin, including the Back the Blue group, framed its removal as an affront to officers. Ryan J. Foley, USA TODAY, 17 Sep. 2021 Yet as noted, geomyths like the griffin and Cyclopes arose from specific geographical regions that feature remains not found elsewhere. Timothy John Burbery, The Conversation, 6 Aug. 2021 Historian Adrienne Mayor argues that the Asian dinosaur Proceratops may have inspired myths of the griffin. Manuel Balce Ceneta, National Geographic, 21 Sep. 2020 See More
Christian Holub, EW.com, 26 July 2022 Hart said the debate over the griffin missed the bigger picture. Ryan J. Foley, USA TODAY, 17 Sep. 2021 Hart said the debate over the griffin missed the bigger picture. NBC News, 17 Sep. 2021 Supporters of the griffin, including the Back the Blue group, framed its removal as an affront to officers. Ryan J. Foley, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Sep. 2021 Supporters of the griffin, including the Back the Blue group, framed its removal as an affront to officers. NBC News, 17 Sep. 2021 Supporters of the griffin, including the Back the Blue group, framed its removal as an affront to officers. Ryan J. Foley, USA TODAY, 17 Sep. 2021 Yet as noted, geomyths like the griffin and Cyclopes arose from specific geographical regions that feature remains not found elsewhere. Timothy John Burbery, The Conversation, 6 Aug. 2021 Historian Adrienne Mayor argues that the Asian dinosaur Proceratops may have inspired myths of the griffin. Manuel Balce Ceneta, National Geographic, 21 Sep. 2020 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English griffon, from Anglo-French grif, griffun, from Latin gryphus, from Greek gryp-, gryps
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
griffin
noun
grif·fin
variants or griffon also gryphon
ˈgri-fən
: an imaginary animal that is half eagle and half lion
Geographical Definition
Griffin
geographical name
Grif·fin ˈgri-fən
city south-southeast of Atlanta in west central Georgia population 23,643
Biographical Definition
Griffin
biographical name
Grif·fin ˈgri-fən
Walter Burley 1876–1937 American architect