Main Entry: hip·po·pot·a·mus

Pronunciation: \ˌhi-pə-ˈpä-tə-məs\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural hip·po·pot·a·mus·es or hip·po·pot·a·mi \-ˌmī, -(ˌ)mē\

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 illustration]