What does griffon mean?
Griffon is chiefly a literary spelling of griffin, the legendary creature with an eagle’s head and wings and a lion’s body. In stories, sculpture, heraldry, and modern fantasy, the griffon combines the keen sight and altitude of an eagle with the strength of a lion; it may guard treasure, serve as an emblem, or oppose other fantastic creatures. The word is also used in specialist contexts. Ornithologists use griffon for the griffon vulture, a large Old World soaring bird native to southern Europe and central Asia, while dog terminology uses it for small, rough-coated Belgian breeds such as the Brussels griffon. A reader encountering griffon in a story or coat of arms will almost certainly mean the mythical beast; the zoological meanings require context. Griffon is useful because it preserves a compact emblem of courage, vigilance, and combined animal power while also marking the difference between a broad literary tradition and narrow technical usages.
nounGriffon is a chiefly literary variant of griffin, the mythological creature with an eagle’s head and wings and a lion’s body. In specialist usage, it can also mean a griffon vulture or a small Belgian dog of the type known as the Brussels griffon.
- A mythical winged creature with an eagle’s head and a lion’s body.
- A griffon vulture, a large Old World vulture of the species Gyps fulvus.
- A small, rough-coated Belgian dog, especially one of the type known as the Brussels griffon or Griffon Bruxellois.
"A stone griffon guarded the entrance to the ancient keep."
"The sculptor carved a winged griffon above the cathedral’s western entrance."
"The shy little dog was a Brussels griffon, alert and eager to greet visitors."
The standard plural adds -s, including when referring to the mythological creature.
"Two stone griffons flanked the gateway."
The griffin is a heraldic chimera: an eagle above, a lion below, and centuries of adventure in one creature.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Words that share this root
How griffon is actually used
The mythological sense is literary, heraldic, and familiar from fantasy and traditional folklore. The ornithological and canine senses are specialist usages and are usually identified from context. Griffin is generally the more familiar form in modern American English, while griffon remains common in British English and specialist names.
Easily confused with griffon
Griffin and griffon are variant English spellings for the same mythological creature, although griffon also occurs as a specialist term for a vulture and a dog.