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• rhino
  rhino

  noun

  a rhinoceros.
• rhino-
  rhino-

  a combining form meaning “nose,” used in the formation of compound words.

rhino

¹ American  

[rahy-noh] / ˈraɪ noʊ /

noun

rhinos, plural rhino plural

1. a rhinoceros.

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rhino ² American  

[rahy-noh] / ˈraɪ noʊ /

noun

Chiefly British Slang.

1. money; cash.

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rhino- ³ American  

1. a combining form meaning “nose,” used in the formation of compound words.

   rhinology.

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rhino ¹ British  

/ ˈraɪnəʊ /

noun

1. short for rhinoceros

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rhino ² British  

/ ˈraɪnəʊ /

noun

1. a slang word for money

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rhino- ³ British  

combining form

1. indicating the nose or nasal

   rhinology

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Usage

What does rhino- mean? Rhino- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “nose.” It is often used in medical terms. Rhino- comes from the Greek rhī́s, meaning “nose.”What are variants of rhino-?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, rhino- becomes rhin-, as in rhinal.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• rhino
  plural
• rhinos
  plural

Etymology

Origin of rhino¹

First recorded in 1880–85; by shortening

Origin of rhino²

First recorded in 1680–90; origin uncertain

Origin of rhino-³

< Greek rhīno-, combining form of rhī́s (stem rhīn- )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rhino rhino- rhinos

I felt for that goalie, put in soccer’s most frightening position: facing down big-bodied Erling Haaland, charging like a caffeinated rhino.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026

Relationships with a seal, an elephant and a rhino, for example — obsessive, protective, loving friendships — all seemed to end if not in outright tragedy, then in shattering heartbreak.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 21, 2026

The East African nation is more accustomed to high-profile wildlife crimes involving elephant tusks and rhino horns.

From BBC ● Mar. 28, 2026

This find represents the northernmost rhino species ever documented.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 24, 2026

Their African equivalents—such as the African buffalo, zebra, bush pig, rhino, and hippopotamus—have never been domesticated, not even in modern times.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

For slumbering felines, Prevue Pet built rhino- and dinosaur-shaped ottomans.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2020

Founded in 1977, the Sheldrick Wildlife is renowned for its care of orphaned elephants and rhinos, rescuing and reintegrating them into the wild.

From BBC ● May 6, 2026

Their findings suggest that rhinos migrated between North America and Europe through Greenland using the North Atlantic Land Bridge.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 24, 2026

The discovery prompted researchers to take a deeper look at the evolutionary history and geographic spread of rhinos.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 24, 2026

The ranch has been breeding rhinos since 2005, when it imported four southern white rhinos from a Kenyan game reserve.

From BBC ● Mar. 18, 2026

Territorial behavior similarly combines with a fierce disposition and a slow growth rate to banish rhinos from the farmyard.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond