hippo

¹

[hip-oh]

noun

Informal.

plural

hippos 

1. hippopotamus.

Hippo

²

[hip-oh]

noun

1. Hippo Regius.

hippo-

³

1. a combining form appearing in loanwords from Greek, where it meant “horse” (hippodrome ); on this model, used in the formation of compound words (hippology ).

hippo

/ ˈhɪpəʊ /

noun

1. short for hippopotamus

2. an armoured police car

Word History and Origins

Origin of hippo¹

By shortening

Origin of hippo²

< Greek: combining form of híppos; cognate with Latin equus, Old Irish ech, Old English eoh, Sanskrit aśvas, Lithuanian ašvà

Example Sentences

For the first episode of “Saturday Night Live’s” 50th season, Bowen Yang dressed up as Moo Deng, a baby hippo the internet was then obsessed with.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

They are typically created to capitalise on social media trends or viral memes - such as for internet-famous pygmy hippo Moo Deng.

Read more on BBC

A birthday bash fit for a queen — or at least a very cute hippo.

Read more on Salon

African wildlife was also affected, with hippos in Botswana stranded in dry riverbeds, and elephants culled in Zimbabwe and Namibia to feed hungry communities and prevent overgrazing.

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Moo Deng, the pygmy hippo who rose to fame on social media, is still attracting visitors and licensing deals, but celebrity can be fleeting.

Read more on Los Angeles Times