pygmy hippopotamus

noun

: a small hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis synonym Hexaprotodon liberiensis) of western Africa and especially Liberia that may reach a weight of nearly 600 pounds (270 kilograms)

Note: In addition to its smaller size, the pygmy hippopotamus differs from the common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) in being nocturnal and less aquatic and in having a rounder head with the eyes set to the sides, less webbing between the toes, and only one pair of lower incisor teeth.

Examples of pygmy hippopotamus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Last Century’s Moo Deng (Atlas Obscura) by Andrew Coletti Long before Moo Deng, Americans fell in love with a different pygmy hippopotamus: William Johnson Hippopotamus. The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 3 Dec. 2024 Moo Deng is a four-month-old baby pygmy hippopotamus who has taken social media by storm. Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 13 Nov. 2024 Additionally, the zoo has installed security cameras to better protect Moo Deng and the other pygmy hippopotamuses in the enclosure, reported the BBC. Christine Rousselle, Fox News, 14 Sep. 2024 The pygmy hippopotamus is known to scientists by its formal name Choeropsis liberiensis. Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024 In the sketch, Yang played the baby pygmy hippopotamus from Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand who has taken the internet by storm over the last few weeks. Stephen Daw, Billboard, 30 Sep. 2024 The facility is also working to get the pygmy hippopotamus a patent and her own live stream. Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 25 Sep. 2024 Moo Deng is a two-month-old pygmy hippopotamus who lives at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Si Racha, Thailand, with a bunch of other hippos. Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 24 Sep. 2024 The youngster bonds with her cousin, Mina, a beautiful but frail asthmatic girl who collects matchboxes and rides to school on her pet pygmy hippopotamus. The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1874, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pygmy hippopotamus was in 1874

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Cite this Entry

“Pygmy hippopotamus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pygmy%20hippopotamus. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

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