hippopotamianadj.
/ˌhɪpəpəˈteɪmɪən/, U.S. /ˌhɪpəpəˈteɪmiən/ 1. Of, belonging to, or of the nature of a hippopotamus. rare.
ΚΠ
1854 Househ. Words 16 Dec. 429/2 The workmen have latterly been very busy making additions to the hippopotamian serai.
2016 Proc. 15th Internat. Aegean Conf. 505 Echoing the female nature of its Egyptian prototype the hippopotamian goddess Taweret.
2. Resembling or reminiscent of a hippopotamus; esp. very large or heavy; unwieldy, awkward, clumsy.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > mammals > group Ungulata (hoofed) > order Artiodactyla (cloven-hoofed animals) > [adjective] > resembling hippo
hippopotamoid1845
hippopotamian1864
hippopotamine1911
the world > space > extension in space > measurable spatial extent > largeness > [adjective] > of large volume or bulky > and clumsy
unridec1175
un-i-weldec1275
boistous?a1400
cumbrousa1400
roida1450
clubbishc1530
lumpish?1573
bouncing1579
unwieldy1582
boisterous1590
unfeirdyc1590
lumbering1593
cumbersome1594
elephantic1598
elephant-likea1603
moliminous1642
clumpish1681
rhinocerical1689
hulking1699
hulky1785
lumberly1805
elephantine1826
rhinocerial1828
lumbersome1834
clumpy1836
lumbrous1836
hippopotamic1853
hippopotamian1864
megatherial1894
hippopotamine1911
1864 Realm 6 Apr. 2 Ladies of such hippopotamian proportions.
1870 Spectator 24 Feb. 247/2 Very hippopotamian playfulness indeed! The Duke should leave that sort of thing to Mr. Disraeli.
1917 Fortn. Rev. 15 Sept. 284/1 It was done over from French into the hippopotamian English in which it appeared in the American press.
1968 V. Nabokov King, Queen, Knave xii. 237 He heard himself emitting a hippopotamian snore and regained consciousness.
1999 Calgary (Alberta) Herald (Nexis) 10 July g10 Publishers..took an interest in the book, but recoiled from the prospect of having to carve a readable text from the hippopotamian typescript.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2018; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1854