queen of beasts
- noun
- Literature
:
reina de las bestias
- The graceful lioness is sometimes referred to as the queen of beasts in wildlife documentaries.
Examples
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The lion is often called the queen of beasts.
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In many cultures, the lioness is regarded as the queen of beasts.
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In ancient stories, the lion is honored as the queen of beasts for her courage.
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Many myths describe the queen of beasts ruling the savannah with wisdom and power.
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In ancient stories, the lion is honored as the queen of beasts for her courage.
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Many myths describe the queen of beasts ruling the savannah with wisdom and power.
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The graceful lioness is sometimes referred to as the queen of beasts in wildlife documentaries.
Synonyms
389
1.0
A large wild cat with a tawny coat and a shaggy mane on males
21
1.0
A female lion that hunts and cares for cubs
A lion that people think is powerful and noble
A name people use for a very strong animal or person like a lion
A large wild cat that lives in Africa and India, known as the lion
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'queen' (a preeminent female ruler) + 'of beasts' (among animals) yields the idea of a female animal regarded as preeminent (e.g., the lion/lioness). The 'X of Y' possessive/comparative pattern is common cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily infer this epithet.
Etymology
Queen of beasts may come from old stories where people called the lion the ruler of all animals. The image is of a strong female lion, the queen, standing tall over other beasts, so the phrase now means 'strength', 'majesty', and 'dominance'.