merlion

Meaning

Noun

• Often Merlion: a symbolic creature having the head of a lion and the body of a fish, which is a national symbol of Singapore; an image, statue, or other depiction of this creature.
• A fictional creature of similar make-up.
• A depiction of a bird similar to a house martin or swallow with stylized feet; a martlet.
• Alternative of merlin.

Origin

• From mer- + lion; sense 1 promoted by the Singapore Tourism Board as the name of a statue installed at the mouth of the Singapore River on 15 September 1972.
• Probably a variant of merlin, from Middle English merlinge, marlyon, merlion, merlone, merlyon, from Old French emerillon, esmerillon, from Frankish *smiril ("falcon, [[hawk#Noun"), from Proto-Germanic *smirilaz ("falcon, merlin").