A legendary creature with the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion, or a breed of small dog with a distinctive bearded face.
From Old French 'griffon,' ultimately from Latin 'gryphus' and Greek 'gryphos' (hooked or curved). The spelling 'griffon' is a variant of 'griffin,' more common in French and some heraldic traditions. The dog breed (Griffon Bruxellois) was named after the creature.
The Griffon dog breed was named after the mythical creature because early breeders thought the dogs' fierce, eagle-like facial expressions resembled the legendary guardian beast—sometimes our modern animals are named after things that no longer exist.
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