Hippo

¹

[hip-oh]

noun

1. Hippo Regius.

hippo-

²

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

³

[hip-oh]

noun

Informal.

plural

hippos 

1. hippopotamus.

hippo

/ ˈhɪpəʊ /

noun

1. short for hippopotamus

2. an armoured police car

Word History and Origins

Origin of Hippo¹

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

Origin of Hippo²

By shortening

Example Sentences

Judy, the first rabbit to join the city's police force, has proven to her macho colleagues — buffaloes, hippos, and warthogs — that she deserves her place in the investigative department.

Read more on Barron's

Goat, hippo and duck-shaped hot air balloons floated in clear blue skies over war-ravaged Myanmar this week in a rare opportunity for escapism.

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Ancient DNA sequencing revealed that these Ice Age hippos were closely related to modern African populations and were part of the same species.

Read more on Science Daily

The national park, home to elephants, lions, hippos, leopards and many other animals, attracts almost a million visitors a year, and is a jewel in the crown of South Africa's tourism industry.

Read more on BBC

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