Hippopotamus Definition

hĭpə-pŏtə-məs
hippopotami, hippopotamuses
noun
hippopotami, hippopotamuses
Any of a family (Hippopotamidae) of large, plant-eating, artiodactylous mammals with a heavy, thick-skinned, almost hairless body and short legs: they live chiefly in or near rivers in Africa.
Webster's New World
The pygmy hippopotamus.
American Heritage
Synonyms:
pronoun

A taxonomic genus within the family Hippopotamidae.

The hippopotamus belongs to Hippopotamus.
Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Hippopotamus

Noun

Singular:
hippopotamus
Plural:
hippopotami, hippopotamuses

Origin of Hippopotamus

  • From Latin and New Latin hippopotamus, from Ancient Greek ἱπποπόταμος (hippopotamos), from ἵππος (hippos, “horse”) (English hippo-) + ποταμός (potamos, “river”).

    From Wiktionary

  • From Latin and New Latin hippopotamus, from Ancient Greek ἱπποπόταμος (hippopotamos), from ἵππος (hippos, “horse”) + ποταμός (potamos, “river”).

    From Wiktionary

  • Latin from Greek hippopotamos hippos horse ekwo- in Indo-European roots potamos river pet- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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hippopotamus