walrus

American  

[wawl-ruhs, wol-] / ˈwɔl rəs, ˈwɒl- /

noun

• walruses,
  plural
• walrus
  plural

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.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• walrus
  plural
• walruses
  plural

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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”

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Explanation

A walrus is a large mammal that lives in the sea and has big flippers and very long tusks. If you'd like to keep a walrus for a pet, you'll need a big pool full of salt water and plenty of clams, a walrus's favorite snack. Walruses are very distinctive, both for their tusks and whiskers and their size: some male walruses weigh over 2,000 pounds. They are extremely important in Arctic indigenous culture and are referenced frequently in Western culture as well. A couple of famous examples are Lewis Carroll's oyster-eating walrus in "The Walrus and the Carpenter." and the mysterious reference in the Beatles' "I Am the Walrus."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

walrus walruses

I took a mat next to the American black bears and American badgers, only slightly jealous that the mats next to the large-scale walrus diorama were taken.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

A walrus with a mug of tea recalls, “I used to be pathologically accommodating. I’d make other people a priority and myself optional.”

From Salon ● Jun. 27, 2026

A young walrus who became something of a celebrity as he toured the Scottish coastline has now crossed the North Sea and arrived in Norway.

From BBC ● May 13, 2026

In another close encounter, while filming underwater a hungry walrus mistook him for a seal and took hold of his legs.

From BBC ● Apr. 8, 2026

Not that I had ever seen a walrus in a religious painting.

From "Louisiana's Way Home" by Kate DiCamillo

Thankfully that never happened thanks to the ship’s stabilizers, allowing me to traverse sea ice, view an unsuccessful polar bear hunt, and photograph wildlife from whales to walruses in comfort.

From Barron's ● May 6, 2026

"While not a native species to the UK, walruses are a nationally protected species under UK law, and disturbance of them is prohibited."

From BBC ● Feb. 9, 2026

"Phytoplankton are the primary source of food for krill, the microscopic shrimp that are the main source of food in the Southern Ocean for virtually every animal, including penguins, seals, walruses and whales," Falkowski said.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 12, 2026

“Nature” brings the birds, bees, walruses and whales.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 29, 2025

So many walruses had hauled themselves out of the water that the beach couldn’t fit them all.

From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown

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