Having the characteristics, appearance, or qualities of a griffin; resembling or suggestive of a griffin in style or form.
From 'griffin' plus the French suffix '-esque' (meaning 'in the manner or style of'), which comes from Italian and is used in English to create adjectives suggesting a resemblance or style. Compare 'picturesque' and 'grotesque.'
The suffix '-esque' is like an artistic filter—'griffinesque' doesn't mean something IS a griffin, but rather that it captures the essence and feeling of griffin-ness, which is why we use it for everything from architecture to personality traits.
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