walrus

American  

[wawl-ruhs, wol-] / ˈwɔl rəs, ˈwɒl- /

noun

plural

walruses,

plural

walrus

1. a large marine mammal, Odobenus nosmarus, of Arctic seas, related to the seals, and having flippers, a pair of large tusks, and a tough, wrinkled skin.

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walrus British  

/ ˈwɔːlrəs, ˈwɒl- /

noun

1. a pinniped mammal, Odobenus rosmarus, of northern seas, having a tough thick skin, upper canine teeth enlarged as tusks, and coarse whiskers and feeding mainly on shellfish: family Odobenidae

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Usage

Plural word for walrus The plural form of walrus is walruses.  The plurals of several other singular words ending in -us are also formed in this way, such as virus/viruses, sinus/sinuses, and syllabus/syllabuses.In some words derived from Latin that end in -us, the irregular plural ending -i may be used instead, as in fungus/fungi and cactus/cacti. However, this ending is not valid for walrus. Walri would be an invalid plural form for walrus.

Etymology

Origin of walrus

First recorded in 1645–55; from Dutch: literally, “whale horse”; cognate with German Walross, Danish hvalros; compare Old English horshwæl “horse-whale”

Example Sentences

I refuse to bury the Chiefs, because they have torched me so many times—presuming their inevitable demise, only to see clever coach Andy Reid pull off another victory by the walrus whiskers.

From The Wall Street Journal

The lounging walruses groaned as she passed by, but they were too comfortable to move.

From Literature

Yet at the same time, Johnson said walruses still can flourish despite the odds against them.

From Salon

Supposedly playing hooky from filming a movie, he visits the walrus diorama at the Natural History Museum.

From Los Angeles Times

Aside from a handful of walruses and polar bears, the crew are entirely alone.

From BBC