Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Lion \Li"on\ (l[imac]"[u^]n), n. [F. lion, L. leo, -onis, akin
   to Gr. le`wn. Cf. {Chameleon}, {Dandelion}, {Leopard}.]
   1. (Zo["o]l.) A large carnivorous feline mammal ({Felis
      leo}), found in Southern Asia and in most parts of Africa,
      distinct varieties occurring in the different countries.
      The adult male, in most varieties, has a thick mane of
      long shaggy hair that adds to his apparent size, which is
      less than that of the largest tigers. The length, however,
      is sometimes eleven feet to the base of the tail. The
      color is a tawny yellow or yellowish brown; the mane is
      darker, and the terminal tuft of the tail is black. In one
      variety, called the {maneless lion}, the male has only a
      slight mane.