pachydermatous

adjective

pachy·​der·​ma·​tous ˌpa-ki-ˈdər-mə-təs 

1

: of or relating to the pachyderms

2

a

: thick, thickened

pachydermatous skin

b

: callous, insensitive

Did you know?

Elephants, rhinoceroses, hippopotamuses - it was a French zoologist named Georges Cuvier who in the late 1700s first called these and other thick-skinned, hoofed mammals Pachydermata. The word, from Greek roots, means "thick-skinned" in New Latin (the Latin used in scientific description and classification). In the 19th century, we began calling such animals pachyderms, and we also began using the adjective pachydermatous to refer, both literally and figuratively, to the characteristics and qualities of pachyderms - especially their thick skin. American poet James Russell Lowell first employed pachydermatous with the figurative "thick-skinned" sense in the mid-1800s: "A man cannot have a sensuous nature and be pachydermatous at the same time."

Synonyms of pachydermatous

• ruthless
• merciless
• stony
• hard

Examples of pachydermatous in a Sentence

a pachydermatous pop diva with little regard for punctuality or other people's schedules

Word History

Etymology

ultimately from Greek pachys + dermat-, derma skin

First Known Use

1823, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Medical Definition

pachydermatous

adjective

pachy·​der·​ma·​tous ˌpak-i-ˈdər-mət-əs 

: abnormally thickened

—used especially of skin