Rhino
/ˈraɪ.noʊ/noun
A large, thick-skinned herbivorous mammal with one or two horns on its snout.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from Greek rhis, rhinos, meaning “nose,” because the creature was named for the horn sitting on its nose like a living weapon.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ῥίς (rhis), ῥινός (rhinos)
“nose”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ῥινόκερως (rhinokerōs)
“nose-horned animal”
Latin
Latin
rhinoceros
“rhinoceros, nose-horned beast”
Late Middle English
English
rhinoceros
“the horned animal”
20th Century
English
rhino
“shortened form of rhinoceros”
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