hippogriff

or hip·po·gryph

[ hip-uh-grif ]

noun
  1. a fabulous creature resembling a griffin but having the body and hind parts of a horse.

Origin of hippogriff

1
1645–55; earlier hippogryph, Latinized <Italian ippogrifo.See hippo-, griffin1

Words Nearby hippogriff

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use hippogriff in a sentence

  • When he threw another bit, the piebald hippogriff wheeled away, but returned almost at once and ate it.

    The Piebald Hippogriff | Karen Anderson
  • The piebald hippogriff leaped into the air, and Johnny clamped his legs about convulsed muscles.

    The Piebald Hippogriff | Karen Anderson
  • When the hippogriff bent its head to take the rest Johnny was on his feet instantly, swinging his lariat.

    The Piebald Hippogriff | Karen Anderson
  • The tense wings flailed, caught air, and brought the hippogriff upright again.

    The Piebald Hippogriff | Karen Anderson
  • The wings missed a beat and the hippogriff shook its head as the rope momentarily checked its breath.

    The Piebald Hippogriff | Karen Anderson

British Dictionary definitions for hippogriff

hippogriff

hippogryph

/ (ˈhɪpəʊˌɡrɪf) /


noun
  1. a monster of Greek mythology with a griffin's head, wings, and claws and a horse's body

Origin of hippogriff

1
C17: from Italian ippogrifo, from ippo- horse (from Greek hippos) + grifo griffin 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012