Definitions for Hippopotamus
ˌhɪp əˈpɒt ə məs; -ˌmaɪhip·popota·mus

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. hippopotamus, hippo, river horse, Hippopotamus amphibiusnoun

   massive thick-skinned herbivorous animal living in or around rivers of tropical Africa

WiktionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. hippopotamusnoun

   A large, semi-aquatic, herbivorous (plant-eating) African mammal (Hippopotamus amphibius) that spends most of the day living in water, but comes on to land at night to feed. Of all living land animals, only the rhinoceros and elephant are larger.

2. Etymology: From and hippopotamus, from ἱπποπόταμος, from ἵππος (English hippo-) + ποταμός.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Hippopotamusnoun

   The river horse. An animal found in the Nile.

   Etymology: ἵϖϖος and πόταμος.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Hippopotamus

   The hippopotamus ( HIP-ə-POT-ə-məs; Hippopotamus amphibius), also called the common hippopotamus is a large, mostly herbivorous, semiaquatic mammal and ungulate native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae, the other being the pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis or Hexaprotodon liberiensis). The name comes from the ancient Greek for "river horse" (ἱπποπόταμος). After the elephant and rhinoceros, both of which are found in Africa, the hippopotamus is the third-largest type of land mammal and the heaviest extant artiodactyl. Despite their physical resemblance to pigs and other terrestrial even-toed ungulates, the closest living relatives of the Hippopotamidae are cetaceans (whales, dolphins, porpoises, etc.) from which they diverged about 55 million years ago. Hippos are recognisable by their barrel-shaped torsos, wide-opening mouths revealing large canine tusks, nearly hairless bodies, columnar legs and large size; adults average 1,500 kg (3,310 lb) and 1,300 kg (2,870 lb) for males and females respectively. Despite its stocky shape and short legs, it is capable of running 30 km/h (19 mph) over short distances. Hippos inhabit rivers, lakes, and mangrove swamps, where territorial males preside over a stretch of river and groups of five to thirty females and young hippos. During the day, they remain cool by staying in the water or mud; reproduction and childbirth both occur in water. They emerge at dusk to graze on grasses. While hippos rest near each other in the water, grazing is a solitary activity and hippos are not territorial on land. The hippo is among the most dangerous animals in the world as it is highly aggressive and unpredictable. They are threatened by habitat loss and poaching for their meat and ivory canine teeth.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. hippopotamus

   A hippopotamus is a large, semi-aquatic, herbivorous mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is characterized by its barrel-shaped body, enormous mouth and teeth, nearly hairless body, stubby legs, and great size - being the third largest type of land mammal after elephants and some rhinoceroses. Despite its bulk, it is a good swimmer and can spend long periods in water or mud to keep cool. It is also known as a dangerous animal, due to its highly aggressive and unpredictable nature.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Hippopotamusnoun

   a large, amphibious, herbivorous mammal (Hippopotamus amphibius), common in the rivers of Africa. It is allied to the hogs, and has a very thick, naked skin, a thick and square head, a very large muzzle, small eyes and ears, thick and heavy body, and short legs. It is supposed to be the behemoth of the Bible. Called also zeekoe, and river horse. A smaller species (H. Liberiencis) inhabits Western Africa

2. Etymology: [L., from Gr.; "i`ppos horse + river. Cf. Equine.]

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Hippopotamus

   The hippopotamus, or hippo, from the ancient Greek for "river horse", is a large, mostly herbivorous mammal in sub-Saharan Africa, and one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae. After the elephant and rhinoceros, the hippopotamus is the third largest type of land mammal and the heaviest extant artiodactyl. Despite their physical resemblance to pigs and other terrestrial even-toed ungulates, their closest living relatives are cetaceans from which they diverged about 55 million years ago. The common ancestor of whales and hippos split from other even-toed ungulates around 60 million years ago. The earliest known hippopotamus fossils, belonging to the genus Kenyapotamus in Africa, date to around 16 million years ago. The hippopotamus is semi-aquatic, inhabiting rivers, lakes and mangrove swamps, where territorial bulls preside over a stretch of river and groups of 5 to 30 females and young. During the day, they remain cool by staying in the water or mud; reproduction and childbirth both occur in water. They emerge at dusk to graze on grass. While hippopotamuses rest near each other in the water, grazing is a solitary activity and hippos are not territorial on land. Hippos are recognizable by their barrel-shaped torso, enormous mouth and teeth, nearly hairless body, stubby legs and tremendous size. They are the third largest type of land mammal by weight: the only heavier species on average are the white and Indian rhinoceroses, typically 1½ to 3½ tonnes, and the elephants, typically weighing 3 to 9 tonnes. The hippopotamus is one of the largest quadrupeds and, despite its stocky shape and short legs, it can easily outrun a human. Hippos have been clocked at 30 km/h over short distances. The hippopotamus is one of the most aggressive creatures in the world and is regarded as one of the most dangerous animals in Africa. Nevertheless, they are still threatened by habitat loss and poaching for their meat and ivory canine teeth.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Hippopotamus

   hip-o-pot′a-mus, n. the river-horse—an African quadruped, of aquatic habits, having a very thick skin, short legs, and a large head and muzzle.—adj. Hippopotam′ic (also -pot′-), like a hippopotamus, clumsy. [L.,—Gr. hippopotamos—hippos, a horse, potamos, a river.]

Suggested ResourcesRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. hippopotamus

   The hippopotamus symbol -- In this Symbols.com article you will learn about the meaning of the hippopotamus symbol and its characteristic.

Matched Categories

1. • Even-toed Ungulate

How to pronounce Hippopotamus?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

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   Mark

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   Daniel

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   Libby

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   Mia

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   Karen

   Australian

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How to say Hippopotamus in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of Hippopotamus in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of Hippopotamus in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7

Examples of Hippopotamus in a Sentence

1. Hilaire Belloc:

   I shoot the Hippopotamus with bullets made of platinum, because if I use the leaden one his hide is sure to flatten em.

2. Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1850:

   I have seen the hippopotamus, both asleep and awake; and I can assure you that, awake or asleep, he is the ugliest of the works of God.

3. Mitch Hedberg:

   Is a hippopotamus really a hippopotomus or just a really cool opotamus?

4. Pat Conroy:

   The Death of Santini, for two years, I’ve tried to satisfy my great interior hunger with a diet that would satisfy a full-grown squirrel but did little to conquer the hippopotamus that lives within me.

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References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=Hippopotamus
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Hippopotamus
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=Hippopotamus
4. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippopotamus
5. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
6. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Hippopotamus
7. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=Hippopotamus
8. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=Hippopotamus