A rhinoceros is a large Asian or African animal with thick grey skin and a horn, or two horns, on its nose.
rhinoceros in British English
(raɪˈnɒsərəs, -ˈnɒsrəs)
nounWord forms: plural-oses or -os
any of several perissodactyl mammals constituting the family Rhinocerotidae of SE Asia and Africa and having either one horn on the nose, like the Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis), or two horns, like the African white rhinoceros (Diceros simus). They have a very thick skin, massive body, and three digits on each foot
Derived forms
rhinocerotic (ˌraɪnəʊsɪˈrɒtɪk)
adjective
Word origin
C13: via Latin from Greek rhinokerōs, from rhis nose + keras horn
rhinoceros in American English
(raɪˈnɑsərəs)
nounWord forms: pluralrhiˈnoceroses or rhiˈnoceros
any of a family (Rhinocerotidae) of large, heavy, thick-skinned, plant-eating, perissodactylous mammals of tropical Africa and Asia, with one or two upright horns on the snout
Derived forms
rhinocerotic (rhiˌnocerˈotic) (raɪˈnɑsərˈɑtɪk)
adjective
Word origin
ME rinoceros < L rhinoceros < Gr rhinokerōs, lit., nose-horned < rhis (see rhino-) + keras, horn
It was too small to comfortably accommodate a rhinoceros, or even a bear or tiger.
Clive Barker COLDHEART CANYON (2001)
Some of the bulk is fat, but most of it is hard muscle, the way a rhinoceros is hard muscle.
Joyce Carol Oates FAITHLESS: TALES OF TRANSGRESSION (2001)
Word lists with
rhinoceros
Horses, rhinos and other perissodactyls
In other languages
rhinoceros
British English: rhinoceros NOUN
A rhinoceros is a large Asian or African animal with thick grey skin and a horn, or two horns, on its nose.
American English: rhinoceros
Brazilian Portuguese: rinoceronte
Chinese: 犀牛
European Spanish: rinoceronte
French: rhinocéros
German: Rhinozeros
Italian: rinoceronte
Japanese: サイ
Korean: 코뿔소
European Portuguese: rinoceronte
Latin American Spanish: rinoceronte
All related terms of 'rhinoceros'
rhinoceros bird
either of two African starlings , Buphagus africanus or B . erythrorhynchus, having flattened bills with which they obtain food from the hides of cattle
rhinoceros horn
the horn of a rhinoceros
rhinoceros beetle
any of various scarabaeid beetles having one or more horns on the head, esp Oryctes rhinoceros , a serious pest on coconut plantations
white rhinoceros
an African rhinoceros , Diceros simus , having two horns on the nose