Leonid

American  

[lee-uh-nid] / ˈli ə nɪd /

noun

Astronomy.

plural

Leonids, Leonides

1. any of a shower of meteors occurring around November 15 and appearing to radiate from a point in the constellation Leo.

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Leonid British  

/ ˈliːənɪd /

noun

1. any member of a meteor shower that is usually insignificant, but more spectacular every 33 years, and occurs annually in mid-November, appearing to radiate from a point in the constellation Leo

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Etymology

Origin of Leonid

1875–80; < New Latin Leonidēs, equivalent to Latin Leōn- (stem of Leō ) Leo + -idēs -id ¹

Example Sentences

As he worked his way in closer, Mercader reported to Leonid Eitignon, a Soviet spymaster who “always appeared to be in control. A glass of cognac would last him an entire evening.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

In the early 1980s, however, the leaders of the two superpowers of that time, Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev and President Ronald Reagan, teamed up to drive a knife through that particular fantasy.

From Salon • Nov. 10, 2025

Another blogger, Leonid Shvets, responded sarcastically: "Thank you America! You have gone mad."

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2025

She has begun writing to Russian officials, pleading for Leonid to be included on a prisoner exchange list, on humanitarian grounds.

From BBC • Jan. 31, 2025

I don’t think that any of us really believed that Leonid Brezhnev was sitting in the deep, dark rooms of the Kremlin, plotting to drop an atomic bomb on Camillo Junior High.

From "The Wednesday Wars" by Gary D. Schmidt