What does griffin mean?
A griffin is a mythical creature traditionally shown with the head, wings, and beak of an eagle and the body, legs, and tail of a lion. Combining two powerful animals, it became a prominent figure in ancient and medieval art, where it could represent vigilance, courage, strength, and guardianship. Today, the word is most often encountered in discussions of mythology, heraldry, fantasy literature, games, and decorative art, including statues and architectural ornaments. Although griffin usually refers to the traditional mythical creature, it can also refer more generally to a representation of that creature. The term entered English through Old French, Latin, and ultimately ancient Greek, where the related word gryps was used for the same fantastic being. Its distinctive appearance has made it one of the most recognizable creatures in the vocabulary of folklore and fantasy.
nounA mythical winged creature traditionally depicted with the head and wings of an eagle and the body and hindquarters of a lion. Griffins are especially prominent in ancient mythology, medieval art, heraldry, and modern fantasy.
- A mythical creature with an eagle's head and wings and a lion's body and hindquarters.
- A representation of that creature in heraldry, sculpture, literature, fantasy, and other art forms.
"The ancient bronze griffin stood sentinel at the entrance to the temple."
"The museum's bronze griffin guarded the entrance to the exhibition hall."
"In the fantasy novel, the party had to awaken an ancient griffin before crossing the mountains."
The regular plural is griffins, with one final -s.
"Two griffins faced each other on the temple's stone pillars."
A griffin combines the sky-soaring power of an eagle with the earthly strength of a lion, making it one of history's most enduring symbols of guardianship.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does griffin come from?
The English word came through Old French griffin, with related forms such as grifon, from Medieval Latin forms including grifus and griffinus. These forms ultimately derive from Greek gryps, a word used for the mythical griffin. The name and its characteristic combination of eagle and lion features were established in classical and medieval traditions before the word entered widespread English use.
How griffin is actually used
Griffin is primarily a literary, heraldic, and mythological term rather than everyday vocabulary. It is also familiar in fantasy writing and in descriptions of statues, ornaments, and other artworks.
Easily confused with griffin
Griffon is an alternative spelling of griffin, especially in heraldic and older literary contexts.