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rhinoceros
[rahy-nos-er-uhs]
noun
plural
rhinoceroses ,plural
rhinoceros .any of several large, thick-skinned, perissodactyl mammals of the family Rhinocerotidae, of Africa and India, having one or two upright horns on the snout: all rhinoceroses are endangered.
Douay Bible.unicorn.
rhinoceros
/ ˌraɪnəʊsɪˈrɒtɪk, raɪˈnɒsərəs, -ˈnɒsrəs /
noun
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
Other Word Forms
- rhinocerotic adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of rhinoceros1
Word History and Origins
Origin of rhinoceros1
Example Sentences
A rhinoceros is so massive that if it falls asleep on its legs, blood flow could be cut off, leading to circulatory problems and significant injury.
The animals said to have been featured in various Roman spectacles include hippopotamuses, elephants, rhinoceroses, bears, ostriches and big cats like lions and tigers.
There are "heavily armed gladiators riding a charging rhinoceros" and "wounded men tumbling from boats into the jaws of ravenous sharks" during the nautical battle staged in the flooded pit of the Colosseum.
It was the ninth Banksy to appear in as many days in London and follows images of a goat, elephants, monkeys, a wolf, pelicans, a cat, piranhas and a rhinoceros.
His latest work follows images that have popped up each morning since 5 August across London of a goat, elephants, monkeys, a wolf, pelicans, a cat, piranhas and a rhinoceros.
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When To Use
The plural form of rhinoceros is rhinoceroses. The plurals of several other singular words that end in -s are also formed in this way, such as pass/passes, lotus/lotuses, and dress/dresses. In some words derived from Latin that end in -us, the irregular plural ending -i is used, as in fungus/fungi and cactus/cacti. Sometimes, for humorous effect or as an overcorrection, people apply the same kind of ending to rhinoceros (because it sounds like it ends in -us), as in rhinoceri. However, this is not a valid plural form of rhinoceros.
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