Illustration of rhinoceros
rhinoceros
noun
rhi·noc·er·os
rī-ˈnäs-rəs 
rə-,
-ˈnä-sə-
plural rhinoceroses also rhinoceros or rhinoceri
rī-ˈnä-sə-ˌrī
rə-
: any of a family (Rhinocerotidae) of large heavyset herbivorous perissodactyl mammals of Africa and Asia that have one or two upright keratinous horns on the snout and thick gray to brown skin with little hair
Examples of rhinoceros in a Sentence
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The film, which takes place around 20 years after the events of Gladiator, also pits Lucius against a rhinoceros, a monkey and hordes of fellow gladiators, not to mention an invading army, power-hungry politicians and multiple ghosts from his past.
—
Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Nov. 2024
Ridley Scott has been trying to squeeze a rhinoceros into the Colosseum for 25 years.
—Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Nov. 2024
Many of the bags also feature rhinoceroses, a frequent presence in Joans’s art.
—Jack Denton, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2024
Many people liked the rhinoceros the best, but the piranhas took the cake.
—Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 3 Sep. 2019
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Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Nov. 2024
Ridley Scott has been trying to squeeze a rhinoceros into the Colosseum for 25 years.
—Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Nov. 2024
Many of the bags also feature rhinoceroses, a frequent presence in Joans’s art.
—Jack Denton, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2024
Many people liked the rhinoceros the best, but the piranhas took the cake.
—Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 3 Sep. 2019
See all Example Sentences for rhinoceros
Articles Related to rhinoceros
Dictionary Entries Near rhinoceros
Cite this Entry
“Rhinoceros.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rhinoceros. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rhinoceros
noun
rhi·noc·er·os
rī-ˈnäs-(ə-)rəs
plural rhinoceroses also rhinoceros
: any of various large plant-eating mammals of Africa and Asia that are related to the horse and have a thick skin with little hair, three toes on each foot, and one or two heavy upright horns on the snout
Etymology
Middle English rinoceros "rhinoceros," from Latin rhinocerot-, rhinoceros (same meaning), from Greek rhinokerōt-, rhinokerōs, literally "nose-horned," from rhin-, rhis "nose" and keras "horn"
Word Origin
One of the largest animals found on land today is the thick-skinned rhinoceros. Another of the animal's characteristics, besides large size, is found on its snout. All rhinoceroses have at least one horn, and some have two horns. The English name for this animal with a horn or horns on its snout was borrowed from Latin rhinoceros. The Latin name, in turn, came from the Greek word rhinokerōs, which literally means "nose-horned." This word is made up of the Greek word rhin-, rhis, meaning "nose" and the word keras, meaning "horn."
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