walrus

noun

wal·​rus ˈwȯl-rəs 

ˈwäl-

plural walrus or walruses

: a large gregarious marine mammal (Odobenus rosmarus of the family Odobenidae) of arctic waters related to the seals that has limbs modified into webbed flippers, long ivory tusks, a tough wrinkled hide, stiff whiskers, and a thick layer of blubber

Note: The male walrus may reach a weight of over 3700 pounds (1678 kilograms). Walrus typically inhabit moving pack ice and usually feed on organisms (such as clams and mussels) living on or near the ocean's bottom. Walrus of the northern Atlantic are considered a separate subspecies (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) from the somewhat larger northern Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens).

Examples of walrus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

When a walrus is hunted, carvings are made from the ivory tusks. —Dana Feldman, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025

The soul patch, villain, and walrus facial hair all work with masks while mutton chops and chin curtain don’t. —Lisa Wood Shapiro, Wired News, 18 Apr. 2025

The draw of the Arctic isn’t just the polar bears and walruses. —Jennifer Billock, Travel + Leisure, 31 July 2024

The zoo announced last week in a clip shared to Facebook that the walrus exhibit would reopen on July 1. Where were the Indy walruses? —Katie Wiseman, The Indianapolis Star, 1 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Dutch, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Danish & Norwegian hvalros walrus, Old Norse rosmhvalr

First Known Use

1728, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

walrus

noun

wal·​rus ˈwȯl-rəs 

ˈwäl-

plural walrus or walruses

: a large mammal of cold northern seas that is related to the seals and has long ivory tusks, a tough wrinkled hide with a thick layer of blubber below, stiff whiskers, and flippers used in swimming, diving, and moving about on land