Forms: 4 leoun-, lioun-, (lyenn-), 4–5 leon-, 4–7 lyon-, lyonn-, 4–8 lionn-; 4 -es, 4–7 -ess(e, (5 -asse, -ys); 7– lioness. [a. OF. lion(n)esse, leonesse (now superseded by lionne), f. lion LION.]
1. The female of the lion.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 12336. Right be þat water side lai a leoness [Fairf. liones, Gött. leones].
13[?]. Sir Beues (MS. A.), 2465. Stoutliche þe liounesse þan Asailede Beues.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xlix. (Tecla), 210. Ymang þai bestis ves richt stark & fel a lyonnes.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Wife’s Prol., 637. Stibourne I was as is a Leonesse.
1461. Rolls of Parlt., V. 475. The Office of kepyng Lyons, Leonesses and Leopardes, within oure Toure of London.
1588. Shaks., Tit. A., IV. ii. 138. The chafed Bore, the mountaine Lyonesse.
1667. Milton, P. L., VIII. 393. They rejoyce Each with thir kinde, Lion with Lioness.
1719. Pope, Iliad, X. 213. The gaunt Lioness, with Hunger bold.
1726. Ayliffe, Parergon, 46. Lyons do in a very severe manner punish the adulteries of the Lyoness.
1813. Byron, Giaour, 1215. Go, when the hunter’s hand hath wrung From the forest-cave her shrieking young, And calm the lonely lioness.
b. fig. Applied to persons.
1413. Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton, 1483), I. xv. 12. Yet wote I wel that leon is he nought ne thou ne myght no leonesse be.
1595. Shaks., John, II. i. 291. Were I at home At your den sirrah, with your Lionnesse, I would set an Oxe-head to your Lyons hide.
1847. Tennyson, Princess, VI. 147. O fair and strong and terrible! Lioness That with your long locks play the Lion’s mane.
2. A female celebrity; a woman who is lionized. † Also (Oxford University slang), a lady visitor to a member of the university.
1808. Scott, Lett. to Lady Louisa Stuart, 19 Jan., in Lockhart. Miss Lydia White … is what Oxonians call a lioness of the first order, with stockings nineteen times nine dyed blue. Ibid. (1824), St. Ronan’s, vii. Bring Mr. Springblossom—Winterblossom—and all the lions and lionesses.
1848. J. H. Newman, Loss & Gain, v. 26. He … had promised him tickets, for some ladies, lionesses of his, who were coming up to the Commemoration.
1861. Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxf., xxv. The whole load,… were on the look-out for lady visitors, profanely called lionesses.
1894. Fenn, In Alpine Valley, I. 8. She was received in society and petted as the new lioness.
