Illustration of rhinoceros
rhinoceros
noun
rhi·noc·er·os
rī-ˈnäs-rəs 
rə-,
-ˈnä-sə-
plural rhinoceroses also rhinoceros or rhinoceri
rī-ˈnä-sə-ˌrī
rə-
: any of a family (Rhinocerotidae) of large heavyset herbivorous perissodactyl mammals of Africa and Asia that have one or two upright keratinous horns on the snout and thick gray to brown skin with little hair
Examples of rhinoceros in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In Houston and at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo, the mayor said she was mesmerized by interactive rhinoceros habitats where visitors can feed and touch rhinos.
—
Joe Rubin, Sacramento Bee, 8 May 2024
With the new arrival, the number of rhinoceroses at the zoo rose to five, including male Spike and females Mambo and Gloria.
—The Indianapolis Star, 9 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for rhinoceros 
Joe Rubin, Sacramento Bee, 8 May 2024
With the new arrival, the number of rhinoceroses at the zoo rose to five, including male Spike and females Mambo and Gloria.
—The Indianapolis Star, 9 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for rhinoceros
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rhinoceros.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Rhinoceros.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rhinoceros. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rhinoceros
noun
rhi·noc·er·os
rī-ˈnäs-(ə-)rəs
plural rhinoceroses also rhinoceros
: any of various large plant-eating mammals of Africa and Asia that are related to the horse and have a thick skin with little hair, three toes on each foot, and one or two heavy upright horns on the snout
Etymology
Middle English rinoceros "rhinoceros," from Latin rhinocerot-, rhinoceros (same meaning), from Greek rhinokerōt-, rhinokerōs, literally "nose-horned," from rhin-, rhis "nose" and keras "horn"
Word Origin
One of the largest animals found on land today is the thick-skinned rhinoceros. Another of the animal's characteristics, besides large size, is found on its snout. All rhinoceroses have at least one horn, and some have two horns. The English name for this animal with a horn or horns on its snout was borrowed from Latin rhinoceros. The Latin name, in turn, came from the Greek word rhinokerōs, which literally means "nose-horned." This word is made up of the Greek word rhin-, rhis, meaning "nose" and the word keras, meaning "horn."
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