Pachyderm
/ˈpæk.ɪ.dɜːrm/noun
A thick-skinned mammal, especially an elephant, rhinoceros, or hippopotamus.
Did you know?Pachyderm was coined in modern scientific Latin from Greek roots, and it once grouped together several huge mammals by their skin texture, not by true biological kinship.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
παχύς (pakhýs) + δέρμα (dérma)
“thick + skin”
Early Modern Scientific Latin
Latin
pachyderma
“a thick-skinned animal”
19th Century
English
pachyderm
“a thick-skinned animal, especially an elephant”
Modern English
English
pachyderm
“an elephant or other large thick-skinned mammal”
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