rhinoceros

[ rahy-nos-er-uh s ]
/ raɪˈnɒs ər əs /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR rhinoceros ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural rhi·noc·er·os·es, (especially collectively) rhi·noc·er·os.

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.
Douay Bible. unicorn(def 4).

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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)

Words nearby rhinoceros

rhino-, rhinoantritis, rhinocanthectomy, rhinocele, rhinocephaly, rhinoceros, rhinoceros beetle, rhinoceros bird, rhinocheiloplasty, rhinocladiella, rhinocleisis
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

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Words related to rhinoceros

mammoth, elephant, hippopotamus, mastodon, hog, horse, cow, pig, swine, cattle, tapir, camel, deer, giraffe, llama, buffalo

Example sentences from the Web for rhinoceros

British Dictionary definitions for rhinoceros

rhinoceros
/ (raɪˈnɒsərəs, -ˈnɒsrəs) /

noun plural -oses or -os

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

Derived forms of rhinoceros

rhinocerotic (ˌraɪnəʊsɪˈrɒtɪk), adjective

Word Origin for rhinoceros

C13: via Latin from Greek rhinokerōs, from rhis nose + keras horn
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