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walrus

 - 3 dictionary results

wal⋅rus

  [wawl-ruhs, wol-]
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–noun, plural -rus⋅es, (especially collectively) -rus.
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.
Origin:
1645–55; < D: lit., whale horse; c. G Walross, Dan hvalros; cf. OE horshwæl horse-whale
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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wal·rus   (wôl'rəs, wŏl'-)   
n.   pl. walrus or wal·rus·es
A large marine mammal (Odobenus rosmarus) of Arctic regions, related to the seals and having two long tusks, tough wrinkled skin, and four flippers. Also called sea horse.

[Dutch, of Scandinavian origin.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

walrus 
1655, from Du. walrus, which was probably a folk-etymology alteration (by influence of Du. walvis "whale" and ros "horse") of a Scand. word, such as O.N. rosmhvalr "walrus," hrosshvalr "a kind of whale," or rostungr "walrus." O.E. had horschwæl, and later morse, from Lapp morsa or Finnish mursu, which may ult. be the source, much garbled, of the first element in O.N. rosmhvalr.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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