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

There were nine of them, varying in size from rhinoceros to elephant.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

Rodents, rabbits, koalas, horses, rhinoceroses and elephants are all hind-gut fermenters – animals that have simple, single-chambered stomachs and rely on microbes in their intestines to extract nutrients from high-fiber food.

From Salon ● Dec. 30, 2024

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 ● Nov. 22, 2024

Previously, the opinion was that that hominins of this age primarily subsisted on large mammals, such as bovids and rhinoceroses, for one simple reason:

From Science Daily ● Nov. 29, 2023

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

From Scientific American ● Oct. 17, 2023

I’m going to be a veterinarian and operate on the biggest animals on the planet—elephants, rhinoceroses, giraffes, hippopotamuses.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García