pachyderm

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noun pachy·derm \ˈpa-ki-ˌdərm\

Definition of pachyderm

: any of various nonruminant mammals (such as an elephant, a rhinoceros, or a hippopotamus) of a former group (Pachydermata) that have hooves or nails resembling hooves and usually thick skin; especially : elephant

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Recent Examples of pachyderm from the Web

Elephant figurines, including a pachyderm piggy bank, perch on tables and shelves.

— joanne kaufman, New York Times, "Beowulf Boritt, Set Designer, Renovates His Home", 26 May 2017
The pachyderms take the path of least resistance and keep out.

— matt jancer, WIRED, "Protecting Protected Species With High-Tech Barriers", 12 Dec. 2013

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pachyderm'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Pachydermos in Greek means literally "having thick skin" (figuratively, it means "dull" or "stupid"). It's from pachys, meaning "thick," and derma, meaning "skin." In the late 1700s the French naturalist Georges Cuvier adapted the Greek term as pachyderme and used it for any one of a whole assemblage of hoofed animals having thickish skin: elephants, hippopotamuses, rhinoceroses, tapirs, horses, pigs, and more. English speakers learned the word from French in the early 1800s. The adjective pachydermatous means "of or relating to the pachyderms" or "thickened" (referring to skin). Not too surprisingly, it also means "callous" or "insensitive" (somewhat unfairly to elephants, which are actually known to be rather sensitive).