rhinoceros

American  

[rahy-nos-er-uhs] / raɪˈnɒs ər əs /

noun

rhinoceroses, plural rhinoceros plural

1. any of several large, thick-skinned, perissodactyl mammals of the family Rhinocerotidae, of Africa and India, having one or two upright horns on the snout: all rhinoceroses are endangered.

2. Douay Bible. unicorn.

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rhinoceros British  

/ ˌraɪnəʊsɪˈrɒtɪk, raɪˈnɒsərəs, -ˈnɒsrəs /

noun

1. any of several perissodactyl mammals constituting the family Rhinocerotidae of SE Asia and Africa and having either one horn on the nose, like the Indian rhinoceros ( Rhinoceros unicornis ), or two horns, like the African white rhinoceros ( Diceros simus ) They have a very thick skin, massive body, and three digits on each foot

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Usage

Plural word for rhinoceros The plural form of rhinoceros is rhinoceroses. The plurals of several other singular words that end in -s are also formed in this way, such as pass/passes, lotus/lotuses, and dress/dresses. In some words derived from Latin that end in -us, the irregular plural ending -i is used, as in fungus/fungi and cactus/cacti. Sometimes, for humorous effect or as an overcorrection, people apply the same kind of ending to rhinoceros (because it sounds like it ends in -us), as in rhinoceri. However, this is not a valid plural form of rhinoceros.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• rhinocerotic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• rhinoceros
  plural
• rhinoceroses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of rhinoceros

1300–50; Middle English rinoceros < Late Latin rhīnoceros < Greek rhīnókerōs, equivalent to rhīno- rhino- + -kerōs -horned, adj. derivative of kéras horn (of an animal)

Explanation

With its massive size, thick skin, and horned snout, the rhinoceros may look like a fearsome creature from a prehistoric world, but this powerful pachyderm is actually a herbivore found in Southeast Asia and Africa. Despite their tough and intimidating appearance, the diet of a rhinoceros consists primarily of grasses, leaves, and shoots rather than smaller animals. Sadly, the rhinoceros is an endangered animal due to illegal hunting and habitat loss. The rhinoceros plays a crucial role in its environment, contributing to the ecosystem by helping to shape the landscape with its grazing and promoting biodiversity with its presence.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rhinoceros rhinoceroses

In U.S. television, there’s a tendency to open every piece of sports programming with a clash of cymbals and a rhinoceros jumping through a flaming hoop.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

“It’s also given me the skin of a rhinoceros, which comes in handy when you’re the CEO of Apple,” he wrote in the essay.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2026

"I've got three favourites, the rhinoceros, tigers and red pandas," he said.

From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2026

Researchers from the Canadian Museum of Nature have identified a previously unknown species of extinct rhinoceros from the High Arctic.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 24, 2026

Shelly had said that most of the regular customers were so heavy into the gambling that a rhinoceros could get loose on board and they wouldn’t care.

From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen

Dr. Aryn P. Wilder — a conservation scientist at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance — decided to study genetic samples from 12 northern white rhinoceroses that had cytogenetically frozen at the San Diego Zoo.

From Salon ● Apr. 16, 2024

So far, the BioRescue team has performed 13 embryo transfers in rhinoceroses, three in Kenya and ten in Europe.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 24, 2024

Yes, Neandertal women were spearing woolly rhinoceroses, and Neandertal men were making clothing.

From Scientific American ● Oct. 17, 2023

Titanotheres belong in the order Perissodactyla, along with rhinoceroses, tapirs and horses.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 15, 2023

As time passed, the bands spread far and wide, pursuing mammoths, mastodons, rhinoceroses and reindeer.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari