— hippopotamic /hip'euh peuh tam"ik/ , hippopotamian /hip'euh peuh tay"mee euhn/ , adj.
/hip'euh pot"euh meuhs/ , n. , pl. hippopotamuses, hippopotami /-muy'/ .
a large herbivorous mammal, Hippopotamus amphibius, having a thick hairless body, short legs, and a large head and muzzle, found in and near the rivers, lakes, etc., of Africa, and able to remain under water for a considerable time.
[ 1555-65; hippopótamos, earlier híppos potámios lit., riverine horse (term used by Herodotus in his account of the Egyptian hippopotamus); cf. ME ypotame, ypotamos, ypotanus ypotame ypotamus ]