river horse

American  

noun

1. a hippopotamus.

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river horse British  

noun

1. an informal name for the hippopotamus

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Etymology

Origin of river horse

First recorded in 1595–1605

Example Sentences

In this video, a lion latches onto a hippo's rump in a vain attempt to take the river horse down.

From National Geographic

The massive "river horses" are not the kind of mammals you want to mess with.

From National Geographic

Nile hippos are also known as river hippos or river horses.

From Washington Times

Then, sitting down, aware of the pleasant viridian background in Francesco’s painting, my eyes blur: I feel like I am falling asleep: then, the river horse, my Magnifico, appears inside the pigment.

From Project Gutenberg

One of the opposition shows was making a great feature of a pair of hippopotami, or river horses, from the Nile.

From Project Gutenberg