The story
From sea + lion, named from its marine habitat and its lion-like barking roar and mane. Compare Middle English see hound, cee-hound, se hound (“beaver”, literally “sea-hound”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
sea lion
Today it means: A pinniped of most genera in the family Otariidae (the eared seals). Full definition →