rhinoceros

noun

rhi·​noc·​er·​os rī-ˈnäs-rəs How to pronounce rhinoceros (audio)
rə-,
-ˈnä-sə-
plural rhinoceroses also rhinoceros or rhinoceri rī-ˈnä-sə-ˌrī How to pronounce rhinoceros (audio)
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

Illustration of rhinoceros

Illustration of rhinoceros

Examples of rhinoceros in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The group — including lions, leopards, rhinoceroses, elephants and the African buffalo — are scattered across the landscape, but some are easier to see than others. Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 13 May 2025 One showed prints of a three-toed ungulate, possibly a rhinoceros or ancient tapir. Amanda Schupak, CNN Money, 25 Apr. 2025 To the west of the Wallace Line—in Borneo, Sumatra and Java—you’d encounter creatures with deep Asian roots: tigers, rhinoceroses, elephants and primates. Scott Travers, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025 However, every single one literally seems like a rhinoceros plowing through a Jeep. Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rhinoceros

Word History

Etymology

Middle English rinoceros, from Anglo-French, from Latin rhinocerot-, rhinoceros, from Greek rhinokerōt-, rhinokerōs, from rhin- + keras horn — more at horn

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rhinoceros was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rhinoceros.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rhinoceros. Accessed 25 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

rhinoceros

noun
rhi·​noc·​er·​os rī-ˈnäs-(ə-)rəs How to pronounce rhinoceros (audio)
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."

More from Merriam-Webster on rhinoceros

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!