walrus

wal·rus | \ ˈwȯl-rəs

, ˈwäl- \

plural walrus or walruses

Definition of walrus

: 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 Venturing into the wild comes with some risk, from frostbite to close encounters with bears and walruses, but Galitz takes it all in stride. — Andrea Michelson, Smithsonian Magazine, "This Photographer Goes to the Ends of the Earth to Capture Rarely Viewed Animals," 1 Jan. 2020 Abundant wildlife, which also includes walruses and whales, is best spotted by boat. — Jennifer Barger, National Geographic, "Trips of a lifetime: Secrets from our readers," 19 Dec. 2019 Climate change and melting ice have resulted in fewer habitats for walruses. — USA TODAY, "Bye-bye to Bei Bei, reverse bank robbery, squirrel survey: News from around our 50 states," 18 Nov. 2019 Climate change and melting ice have resulted in fewer habitats for walruses. — USA TODAY, "Bye-bye to Bei Bei, reverse bank robbery, squirrel survey: News from around our 50 states," 18 Nov. 2019 Climate change and melting ice have resulted in fewer habitats for walruses. — Chris Sims, Indianapolis Star, "Indianapolis Zoo says goodbye to walruses, welcomes 2 more," 15 Nov. 2019 With his bushy blonde toupee, exaggerated eyebrows and walrus-like mustache, Taylor was a striking presence. — Lindsey Bahr, SFChronicle.com, "Rip Taylor, flamboyant television comedian and actor, dies at 88," 7 Oct. 2019 With his bushy blonde toupee, exaggerated eyebrows and walrus-like mustache, Taylor was a striking presence. — Lindsey Bahr, The Denver Post, "Rip Taylor, madcap confetti-throwing comic, dies at 84," 6 Oct. 2019 With his bushy blonde toupee, exaggerated eyebrows and walrus-like mustache, Taylor was a striking presence. — Lindsey Bahr, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Madcap confetti-throwing comic Rip Taylor has died at 84," 6 Oct. 2019

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

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about walrus

Dictionary Entries near walrus

Statistics for walrus

Last Updated

19 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Walrus.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/walrus. Accessed 24 January 2020.

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for walrus

walrus

noun

English Language Learners Definition of walrus

: a large animal that lives on land and in the sea in northern regions and that has flippers and long tusks

See the full definition for walrus in the English Language Learners Dictionary

walrus

noun

wal·rus | \ ˈwȯl-rəs

Kids Definition of walrus

: a large animal of northern seas that is related to the seal and has long ivory tusks, a tough wrinkled hide, and flippers used in swimming, diving, and moving about on land

Keep scrolling for more