griffon

 
Pronunciation: /ˈgrɪf(ə)n/

noun

  • 1a dog of any of several terrier-like breeds originating in NW Europe.
  • (also Brussels griffon) a dog of a toy breed with a flat face and upturned chin.
  • 2 (also griffon vulture) a large Old World vulture with predominantly pale brown plumage.
    • Genus Gyps, family Accipitridae: four species, in particular the Eurasian G. fulvus and the African Ruppell’s griffon (G. ruepelli)

Origin:

Middle English (in griffon (sense 2)): variant of griffin; griffon (sense 1) was adopted from French in the 18th century