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.
We could also call Wild Bill’s Western Store a winner, as Front Office Sports reported the taxidermy shop sold out of stuffed raccoons thanks to high demand following Haaland’s viral post.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
His haul ended up including two taxidermy squirrels as well — one dressed as a sheriff and the other posed to look like it is drinking out of a Budweiser can.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 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
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 glass eyes of Lord Fredrick’s taxidermy collection stared at her accusingly: the bear, the moose, the stags, the foxes, the many varieties of birds, and, of course, the elk.
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.
