n.
Pronunciation: ˌ hi-p ə - ' pä-t ə -m ə s
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -mus · es or -mi \ - ˌ m ī , -( ˌ )m ē \
Etymology: Latin, from Greek hippopotamos, alteration of hippos potamios, literally, riverine horse
Date: 1563
: a very large herbivorous 4-toed chiefly aquatic artiodactyl mammal ( Hippopotamus amphibius ) of sub-Saharan Africa with an extremely large head and mouth, bare and very thick grayish skin, and short legs also : a smaller closely related mammal ( Choeropsis liberiensis ) of western Africa
hippopotamus