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walrus

[ wawl-ruhs, wol- ]

noun

, plural wal·rus·es, (especially collectively) wal·rus.
  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.


walrus

/ 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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Word History and Origins

Origin of walrus1

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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Word History and Origins

Origin of walrus1

C17: probably from Dutch, from Scandinavian; compare Old Norse hrosshvalr (literally: horse whale) and Old English horschwæl; see horse , whale

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Example Sentences

Her work has appeared in The Walrus, Toronto Life, Hazlitt, This, and The Guardian.

The skin of the walrus is an inch thick, wrinkled, and covered with very short hair of different colours.

The walrus is easily distinguished by its long tusks, a character which we find peculiar to that and the elephant.

We have only seen two heads on this subject, which resembled that of the walrus more than any other animal.

Like the kayaks, it was covered with seal-skin; or perhaps it might have been the hide of the walrus.

We then took the captain with us to see their huts and our walrus-skin tent.

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Walraswalrus moustache