griffon

¹ American  

[grif-uhn] / ˈgrɪf ən /

noun

1. a vulture of the genus Gyps, especially G. fulvus, of southern Europe.

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griffon ² American  

[grif-uhn] / ˈgrɪf ən /

noun

1. any of several varieties of the Brussels griffon differing from each other in coloration or in the texture of the coat.

2. Also called wirehaired pointing griffon.  one of a Dutch breed of medium-sized dogs having a coarse, steel-gray or grayish-white coat with chestnut markings, used for pointing and retrieving birds.

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griffon ¹ British  

/ ˈɡrɪfən /

noun

1. any of various small wire-haired breeds of dog, originally from Belgium

2. any large vulture of the genus Gyps, of Africa, S Europe, and SW Asia, having a pale plumage with black wings: family Accipitridae (hawks)

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griffon ² British  

/ ˈɡrɪfən /

noun

1. a variant of griffin 1

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Etymology

Origin of griffon¹

1350–1400; Middle English griffoun < French; griffin ¹

Origin of griffon²

1820–30; < French; akin to griffin ¹

Example Sentences

Fourth-grader Micah Wacker trains Ruby Mae, a 14-pound Brussels griffon, and has taken her to Canada, with his mom and grandmother, for competitions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025

Buddy Holly, a petit basset griffon Vendéen, took the top prize at the Westminster Dog Show.

From New York Times • May 10, 2023

Bird species such as barnacle geese, griffon vultures, great white egrets and Dalmatian pelicans are also recovering well.

From BBC • Sep. 27, 2022

In one corner, a 5-foot whale baleen like a feather plucked from a griffon; in another, a prototypical washing machine, its tub made from a half cask of whiskey.

From Salon • Sep. 11, 2021

Early In the 14th century Simon de Montagu, an ancestor of the earls of Salisbury, quartered with his own arms a coat of azure with a golden griffon.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 3 "Helmont, Jean" to "Hernosand" by Various