See Also: hippopotamus(medicine)
hippopotamus(dictionary)
hippopotamus(encyclopedia)
hippopotamus(dictionary)

hippopotamus (iou)



hippopotamus noun. . ME.
[Old French ypotame, medieval Latin ypotamus, or its source Latin hippopotamus from Greek hippopotamos, earlier hippos ho potamios horse of the river.]
A very large heavy short-legged artiodactyl mammal of the family Hippopotamidae; spec. Hippopotamus amphibius, which lives in or near rivers and lakes in tropical African grassland and is a gregarious semi-aquatic herbivore having a wide tusked mouth and thick, almost hairless skin.
pygmy hippopotamus: see PYGMY adjective.
hippopo'tamian adjective of, belonging to, or suggestive of a hippopotamus M19.
hippopo'tamic adjective = hippopotamian L18.
hippopotamid noun & adjective (Zoology) (a) noun any animal of the family Hippopotamidae; (b) adjective of, pertaining to, or designating this family: L19.
hippopotamine adjective = hippopotamian L19.