hippopotamus

American  

[hip-uh-pot-uh-muhs] / ˌhɪp əˈpɒt ə məs /

noun

plural

hippopotamuses, hippopotami

1. a large herbivorous mammal, Hippopotamus amphibius, having a thick hairless body, short legs, and a large head and muzzle, found in and near the rivers, lakes, etc., of Africa, and able to remain under water for a considerable time.

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hippopotamus British  

/ ˌhɪpəˈpɒtəməs /

noun

1. a very large massive gregarious artiodactyl mammal, Hippopotamus amphibius, living in or around the rivers of tropical Africa: family Hippopotamidae. It has short legs and a thick skin sparsely covered with hair

2. a related but smaller animal, Choeropsis liberiensis

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Usage

Plural word for hippopotamus The plural form of hippopotamus can be either hippopotamuses or hippopotami. Hippopotamuses is more widely used. The plurals of several other singular words ending in -us are also formed this way, such as virus/viruses, sinus/sinuses, and walrus/walruses. Irregular plurals that are formed like hippopotami, such as cactus/cacti and fungus/fungi, derive directly from their original pluralization in Latin. However, the standard English plural -es ending is often also acceptable for these terms, as in cactuses.

Other Word Forms

• hippopotamian adjective
• hippopotamic adjective

Etymology

Origin of hippopotamus

1555–65; < Latin < Greek hippopótamos, earlier híppos potámios literally, riverine horse (term used by Herodotus in his account of the Egyptian hippopotamus); compare Middle English ypotame, ypotamos, ypotanus < Old French ypotame < Medieval Latin ypotamus

Example Sentences

“My heavens! You have chimpanzees, and panthers, and baboons, and even a hippopotamus. Nutsawoo will be thrilled.”

From Literature

Researchers examined numerous hippopotamus fossils using both genetic and radiocarbon dating methods.

From Science Daily

The animals said to have been featured in various Roman spectacles include hippopotamuses, elephants, rhinoceroses, bears, ostriches and big cats like lions and tigers.

From Los Angeles Times

Yang has been known to portray the iceberg that sank the Titanic or the adorable Thai pygmy hippopotamus Moo Deng.

From Salon

An "incredibly rare" female baby hippopotamus has been born at Edinburgh Zoo.

From BBC