walrusn.

Brit.

/ˈwɔːlrəs/,

/ˈwɔːlrʌs/,

/ˈwɒlrəs/,

/ˈwɒlrʌs/, U.S.

/ˈwɔlrəs/,

/ˈwɑlrəs/

Forms: Also 1700s walrous, wallross, plural walrosses, 1800s walrusses.

Etymology: probably < Dutch walrus (walros ). Compare (i) Low German walross , German walross (earlier also walruss , walrusch ), Swedish hvalross , valross (valruss ), Danish hvalros (earlier also hvalrusk ), walrus; (ii) Old English horschwæl , early modern German rosswal , russwal , Norwegian russhval , walrus, ? Old French rohal , rohart , rochal (whence medieval Latin rohanlum , -allum ) walrus-ivory; see ruel n.The forms under (i) appear to be later than those under (ii) from which they perhaps arose (? in Dutch) by metathesis on some analogy such as that of Dutch walvisch whale. The interpretation of formation (ii) as ‘horse-whale’ (zoologically improbable) appears to be only one of the various popular etymologies that have influenced the forms of the word. Ultimately a confusion, either within or outside the Scandinavian languages, has perhaps taken place between Old Norse hrosshvalr a kind of whale, and rosmhvalr walrus. The latter is related obscurely to Old Norse rosmall , Norwegian rosmaal , rosmaar , Danish rosmær , -er , -ar walrus, whence the scientific specific name rosmarus . See rosmarine n.² Some scholars have connected rosm- with Old Norse, Iceland rostungr walrus, and assumed relationship of both with Old Norse rauðr red adj. and n. (Compare rorqual n. and Old High German ros(a)mo redness.) This is zoologically possible, but it seems more likely that rosm- is a corruption of some non-Germanic word: compare morse n.²

1. The sea-horse, or morse ( Trichechus rosmarus), a carnivorous pinniped marine mammal allied to the Phocidae (seals), and Otariidae (sea lions), and chiefly distinguished by two tusks (exserted upper canine teeth). It inhabits the Arctic seas. A variety found in the north Pacific has sometimes received the distinct specific name obesus.

ΘΚΠ

the world > animals > mammals > group Unguiculata or clawed mammal > order Pinnipedia (seal, sea lion, or walrus) > [noun] > family Odobenidae (walrus)

morse1482

seahorse?a1500

rosmarine1590

horse-whale1598

sea-elephant1601

sea-ox1613

sea-morse1631

sea-cow1668

walrus1728

walrus calf1896

c893 tr. Orosius Hist. i. i. §15 For þæm horschwælum, for ðæm hie habbað swiþe æþele ban on hiora toþum.

1655 O. Wormius Mus. iii. xv. 289 Animal..quod Anglis & Russis Walrus, aliis Mors, Danis & Islandis Rosmarus vocatur.

1693 J. Ray Synopsis Animalium Quadrupedum 191 Anglis Mors à Russis mutuato nomine. Belgis Walrus... The Morse or Sea-Horse.]

1728 J. Woodward Catal. Foreign Fossils ii. 22 in Catal. Addit. Eng. Native Fossils A Tusk of the Morse, or Walrous, call'd by some the Sea-Horse.

1752 J. Hill Gen. Nat. Hist. III. 555 The Phoca, with the canine teeth exerted. The Walrus.

1796 J. Morse Amer. Universal Geogr. (new ed.) II. 75 The seals, walrosses, and cod, caught in the Russian seas, are likewise very important articles.

1833 C. Bell Hand (1834) 109 The bones of the morse or walrus..are remarkably complete, if we consider the peculiar appearance of the feet in the living animal.

1856 E. K. Kane Arctic Explor. I. xiii. 140 The last remnant of walrus did not leave us until..the temperature had sunk below zero.

1888 Encycl. Brit. XXIV. 337/2 The tusks are formidable weapons of defence, but their principal use seems to be digging..for the molluscs and crustaceans on which the walrus feeds.

†2. Indian walrus: the dugong n. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > animals > mammals > group Placentalia > [noun] > order Sirenia > genus Dugong

Indian walrus1771

dugong1800

Halicore1828

1771 T. Pennant Synopsis Quadrupeds 338 Indian Walrus.

Compounds

C1. General attributive.

walrus-beef n.

ΚΠ

1856 E. K. Kane Arctic Explor. I. xxviii. 366 Laden with..as much walrus-beef..as would pay for their board.

walrus-boat n.

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1884 Pall Mall Gaz. 15 Aug. 6/1 Each walrus-boat carried six men.

walrus calf n.

ΘΚΠ

the world > animals > mammals > group Unguiculata or clawed mammal > order Pinnipedia (seal, sea lion, or walrus) > [noun] > family Odobenidae (walrus)

morse1482

seahorse?a1500

rosmarine1590

horse-whale1598

sea-elephant1601

sea-ox1613

sea-morse1631

sea-cow1668

walrus1728

walrus calf1896

1896 Cosmopolitan Feb. 356/2 Old Ickwa put his hand on me, at the same time pointing to the walrus calf, and said ‘pee-yuk!’

walrus-fishing n.

ΚΠ

1820 W. Scoresby Acct. Arctic Regions II. 5 Walrus-fishing in succeeding years in high northern latitudes.

walrus-hide adj.

ΚΠ

1862 Catal. Internat. Exhib., Brit. II. No. 4638 Patent walrus-hide belting.

walrus-ivory n.

ΘΚΠ

society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > bone or horn > [noun] > ivory > types of

morphil1615

sea ivory1851

walrus-ivory1875

1875 W. Maskell Ivories 2 In quality and beauty of appearance walrus ivory scarcely yield to that of the elephant.

C2.

walrus moustache n. a large moustache which overhangs the lips (thus resembling the whiskers of a walrus).

ΘΚΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > beautification > beautification of the person > beautification of the hair > styles of hair > [noun] > styles of moustache

rat-tail moustache1871

burnside1875

handlebar1888

Kaiser moustache1900

Kaiser Wilhelm moustache1901

toothbrush moustache1904

doormat1909

Kaiser Bill moustache1910

Old Bill moustache1915

cookie-duster1918

walrus moustache1918

Hitler1930

walrus whiskers1930

soup-strainer1932

pencil line1934

pencil moustache1961

Zapata1968

1918 W. Owen 31 Oct. (1967) 591 An old soldier with a walrus moustache.

1982 T. Fitzgibbon With Love i. xii. 88 I remember Conan Doyle as a large man with sad thoughtful eyes and a walrus moustache.

walrus whiskers n. see walrus moustache n.

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