rhinoceros

noun

rhi·​noc·​er·​os rī-ˈnä-sə-rəs 

rə-, 

-ˈnäs-rəs

plural rhinoceroses also rhinoceros or rhinoceri rī-ˈnä-sə-ˌrī 

rə-

: any of a family (Rhinocerotidae) of large heavyset herbivorous perissodactyl mammals of Africa and Asia that have one or two upright keratinous horns on the snout and thick gray to brown skin with little hair

Illustration of rhinoceros

Examples of rhinoceros in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Brazil’s joke-candidate tradition stretches back to 1959, from voters’ write-in campaign for a zoo rhinoceros to clown Tiririca’s four terms in Congress. — Mauricio Savarese, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026

Brazil's tradition of novelty candidates dates back to 1959, when roughly 100,000 voters in São Paulo wrote the name of Cacareco, a female rhinoceros from the city zoo, on their paper ballots in a city council election. — ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026

The fourth, the Indian rhinoceros, is vulnerable, its habitat shrinking rapidly as fragmented and isolated population groups spread across a shattered landscape littered with invasive plant species poisonous to the animals. — Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026

Slattery has also conducted research on renewable energy and rhinoceros conservation. — Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English rinoceros, from Anglo-French, from Latin rhinocerot-, rhinoceros, from Greek rhinokerōt-, rhinokerōs, from rhin- + keras horn — more at horn

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing rhinoceros

• black rhinoceros
• greater one-horned rhinoceros
• Indian rhinoceros
• Javan rhinoceros
• lesser one-horned rhinoceros
• one-horned rhinoceros
• rhinoceros beetle
• white rhinoceros

Kids Definition

rhinoceros

noun

rhi·​noc·​er·​os rī-ˈnäs-(ə-)rəs 

plural rhinoceroses also rhinoceros

: any of various large plant-eating mammals of Africa and Asia that are related to the horse and have a thick skin with little hair, three toes on each foot, and one or two heavy upright horns on the snout

Etymology

Middle English rinoceros "rhinoceros," from Latin rhinocerot-, rhinoceros (same meaning), from Greek rhinokerōt-, rhinokerōs, literally "nose-horned," from rhin-, rhis "nose" and keras "horn"

Word Origin

One of the largest animals found on land today is the thick-skinned rhinoceros. Another of the animal's characteristics, besides large size, is found on its snout. All rhinoceroses have at least one horn, and some have two horns. The English name for this animal with a horn or horns on its snout was borrowed from Latin rhinoceros. The Latin name, in turn, came from the Greek word rhinokerōs, which literally means "nose-horned." This word is made up of the Greek word rhin-, rhis, meaning "nose" and the word keras, meaning "horn."