Meanings
proper nounthe Three Lions pl (plural only)
alternative 3 Lions
- pluralplural onlyball gamesThe England national football team.
The Three Lions are in the last four for only the third time. They went on to win their home tournament in 1966 but lost to West Germany on penalties in 1990.
2018 July 7, Phil McNulty, “Sweden 0-2 England”, in BBC Sport
Origin
A reference to the crest or badge of the team, which depicts three lions.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
Three Lions. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Three%20Lions
MLA
“Three Lions.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Three%20Lions. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Three Lions,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Three%20Lions.
Source: Three Lions on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.