taxidermy
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of taxidermy
1810–20; taxi- + Greek dérm ( a ) skin ( see derma 1) + -y 3
Explanation
If you're a fan of taxidermy, you like real stuffed animals — animal skins specially prepared and mounted to look like they're alive. Some natural history museums are full of well-done taxidermy, real animals that have been mounted after death, treated to preserve them and posed to appear lifelike. The word taxidermy was first used in 1820, from the Greek words taxis, "arrangement," and derma, "skin." In other words, the slightly gruesome meaning of taxidermy is "an arrangement of skin."
Vocabulary lists containing taxidermy
Body Language: Derm ("Skin")
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Merci Suárez Changes Gears
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Frightful's Mountain
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Honorable mention: Norway’s star striker Erling Haaland, who went viral for bringing home a taxidermy raccoon holding a whiskey bottle that he reportedly bought for $750 from Wild Bill’s Western Store in Dallas.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
Last year, Noah Aussems decided to close his Kips Bay sports bar Sucker Punch and partner with Chris Reda to renovate the space, importing wood from Kentucky and taxidermy from Indiana.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 23, 2025
Cameron enters Isaiah’s home to discover his host surrounded by what looks like taxidermy sheep skins.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2025
An egg-laying mammal with the face and feet of a duck, an otter-shaped body and a beaver-inspired tail, many thought the creature was an elaborate hoax; a taxidermy trick.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2025
The one time she and the children had wandered by accident into Lord Fredrick’s study, the sight of his vast collection of taxidermy had upset more than just their tummies.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
