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View synonyms for rhinoceros

rhinoceros

[ rahy-nos-er-uhs ]

noun

, plural rhi·noc·er·os·es, (especially collectively) rhi·noc·er·os.
  1. any of several large, thick-skinned, perissodactyl mammals of the family Rhinocerotidae, of Africa and India, having one or two upright horns on the snout: all rhinoceroses are endangered.
  2. Douay Bible. unicorn ( def 4 ).


rhinoceros

/ ˌraɪnəʊsɪˈrɒtɪk; raɪˈnɒsərəs; -ˈnɒsrəs /

noun

  1. any of several perissodactyl mammals constituting the family Rhinocerotidae of SE Asia and Africa and having either one horn on the nose, like the Indian rhinoceros ( Rhinoceros unicornis ), or two horns, like the African white rhinoceros ( Diceros simus ) They have a very thick skin, massive body, and three digits on each foot


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Derived Forms

  • rhinocerotic, adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of rhinoceros1

1300–50; Middle English rinoceros < Late Latin rhīnoceros < Greek rhīnókerōs, equivalent to rhīno- rhino- + -kerōs -horned, adj. derivative of kéras horn (of an animal)

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Word History and Origins

Origin of rhinoceros1

C13: via Latin from Greek rhinokerōs , from rhis nose + keras horn

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Example Sentences

It surpasses the paintings of horses and rhinoceros from the Chauvet Cave in France by 400 years.

South Africa is the most dangerous place in the world to be a rhinoceros.

This left them, in the end, with “rhinoceros” and “anthropoid.”

In and among the rest he inserted the words “rhinoceros” and “anthropoid.”

The rhinoceros, again looking pretty aimless and beaten down, was made—beautifully—of papier mache.

Even the gruff, grumpy, unsociable rhinoceros amiably allowed him to stroke its head with his trunk.

Among other things, the rhinoceros was knocked so heavily against the bars of his crib that they began to give way.

If this passenger was easy-going and polite, the rhinoceros, which came next, was very much the reverse.

That minute a tall tree fell in front of us and the raging rhinoceros went by.

After they had passed, a lull fell on the scene, which was soon broken by the grunt and snort of a rhinoceros.

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