rhinoceros

American  

[rahy-nos-er-uhs] / raɪˈnɒs ər əs /

noun

plural

rhinoceroses,

plural

rhinoceros

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.

---

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

---

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

• rhinocerotic adjective

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)

Example Sentences

Imagine a fifty-pound pigeon with the feet of a turkey, the beak of a toucan, and the prehistoric charm of a rhinoceros.

From Literature

Fossil evidence also revealed that these warm-adapted hippos lived alongside cold-climate animals such as mammoths and woolly rhinoceroses -- an unusual ecological mix that highlights the complexity of Ice Age environments.

From Science Daily

A rhinoceros is so massive that if it falls asleep on its legs, blood flow could be cut off, leading to circulatory problems and significant injury.

From Salon

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

It was the ninth Banksy to appear in as many days in London and follows images of a goat, elephants, monkeys, a wolf, pelicans, a cat, piranhas and a rhinoceros.

From BBC