hippo

noun

hip·​po ˈhi-(ˌ)pō How to pronounce hippo (audio)
plural hippos

Examples of hippo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Hippo Cove holds up to four hippos, so if one of the females gets pregnant and has a baby, then a current habitant will have to go. The Enquirer, 5 Mar. 2024 Best director honors went to Dominican filmmaker Nelson Carlos De Los Santos Arias for Pepe, an unclassifiable mash-up of documentary and fiction about a hippo brought to Colombia by drug king Pablo Escobar. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Feb. 2024 As the hippo’s numbers burgeon, the scramble to curtail population growth has reached a boiling point. Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 26 Jan. 2024 Hippos, for their part, are fiercely territorial and will challenge any animal, human, or fellow hippo that crosses the line. Paul Richards, Field & Stream, 15 Nov. 2023 But one topic is always on Cincinnati's mind: Fiona the hippo. The Enquirer, 5 Mar. 2024 There’s charm in the idea of a hippo for the first time contemplating how a body of water can have no middle or edges, even if less of the occasionally windy narration might be more. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Feb. 2024 When Did Ancient Hippos Live? In restoring the skull and jaws, scientists discovered some very old dirt stuck to the teeth and mandible of an ancient hippo. Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 30 Nov. 2023 All of them had inquired about tours of Uganda’s lush forests; the expeditions cost about $15,000 per couple for 13 days of hippo and gorilla spotting. David Segal, New York Times, 19 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hippo.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hippo was in 1850

Dictionary Entries Near hippo

Cite this Entry

“Hippo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hippo. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hippo

noun
hip·​po ˈhip-ō How to pronounce hippo (audio)
plural hippos

Geographical Definition

Hippo

geographical name

Hip·​po ˈhi-(ˌ)pō How to pronounce Hippo (audio)
variants or Hippo Regius
ˈrē-jəs How to pronounce Hippo (audio)
-jē-əs
ancient city in northern Africa south of modern Annaba, Algeria; chief town of Numidia

More from Merriam-Webster on hippo

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