pachyderm

[ pak-i-durm ]
/ ˈpæk ɪˌdɜrm /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR pachyderm ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

any of the thick-skinned, nonruminant ungulates, as elephants, hippopotamuses, and rhinoceroses.
an elephant.
a person who is not sensitive to criticism, ridicule, etc.; a thick-skinned person.

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Origin of pachyderm

First recorded in 1825–30; from French pachyderme, from New Latin Pachyderma, singular of Pachydermata (plural) obsolete order name, from Greek pachý(s) “thick” + -dérmata, neuter plural of -dermatos “-skinned,” adjective derivative of dermat-, stem of dérma “skin”; see origin at derma1

OTHER WORDS FROM pachyderm

pach·y·der·mal, pach·y·der·mous, pach·y·der·mic, pach·y·der·moid, adjective

Words nearby pachyderm

pachycephalosaurus, pachycephaly, pachycheilia, pachychromatic, pachydactyly, pachyderm, pachyderma, pachyderma laryngis, pachyderma lymphangiectatica, pachydermatocele, pachydermatous
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to pachyderm

mammoth, elephant, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, mastodon

Example sentences from the Web for pachyderm

British Dictionary definitions for pachyderm

pachyderm
/ (ˈpækɪˌdɜːm) /

noun

any very large thick-skinned mammal, such as an elephant, rhinoceros, or hippopotamus

Derived forms of pachyderm

pachydermatous, adjective

Word Origin for pachyderm

C19: from French pachyderme, from Greek pakhudermos thick-skinned, from pakhus thick + derma skin
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

Scientific definitions for pachyderm

pachyderm
[ păk′ĭ-dûrm′ ]

Any of various large, thick-skinned mammals, such as the elephant, rhinoceros, or hippopotamus.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.