What does gryphon mean?
A gryphon is a legendary hybrid creature, conventionally depicted with the head, wings, and forelegs of an eagle and the body and hind legs of a lion. It belongs to the long European tradition of combining animals whose traits suggest distinct powers. In modern use, the word appears especially in heraldry, where a gryphon is a stylized emblem, and in fantasy, where it stands for ferocity, vigilance, and supernatural strength. The spelling gryphon is established in British and American English and is often chosen for its historical flavor, while griffin is more frequent in general reference works. Both names denote the same creature, not separate kinds of monster. Because of its dramatic hybrid form, the gryphon has become a memorable figure in Western mythology, literature, and visual culture.
nounA legendary winged creature with the head, wings, and forelegs of an eagle and the body and hind legs of a lion.
- A legendary hybrid creature with the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion, also used as a heraldic or fantastical emblem.
"A gryphon guarded the entrance to the ancient castle."
"The sculptor carved a gryphon above the palace doorway."
"In the novel, a gryphon carries the protagonist beyond the mountains."
The regular plural is gryphons.
"Two gryphons guarded the mountain pass."
The gryphon is heraldry's most elegant contradiction: an eagle's head and wings on the body of a lion.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does gryphon come from?
Gryphon entered English in the early 17th century through French griffon, from Latin gryphon or gryphus. These forms came from Greek gryphōn, a variant of gryps, the Greek name for the creature. The same source also produced the established English variants griffin and griffon.
How gryphon is actually used
The word carries a consciously historical, heraldic, or fantastical tone in modern prose; in fantasy writing it functions as ordinary terminology.
Easily confused with gryphon
Gryphon and griffin are established spelling variants for the same mythological creature rather than different creatures.