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
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Thinning sea ice will also threaten other seal species, walruses and marine mammals in the region, according to the update.
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Nell Lewis, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2025
The famous car-wreck sculptor John Chamberlain hunched at the bar in his jeans and dark polo; Frosty Meyers, with his punk haircut and walrus mustache; and Larry Zox, heavyset, his wavy hair swept back, signaling for the bartender.
—Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2025
In addition to showcasing the Arctic’s raw, austere beauty and wildlife encounters such as sightings of polar bears, walruses, wolves, giant musk ox, narwhal, and snowy owls, the voyage shines a spotlight on the Indigenous people who have stewarded the region’s unusual ecosystems for 5,000 years.
—Robin Catalano, AFAR Media, 15 Sep. 2025
The mobiles stir like birds or trees; the stabiles squat, grumpy and irregular, like walruses.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
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Nell Lewis, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2025
The famous car-wreck sculptor John Chamberlain hunched at the bar in his jeans and dark polo; Frosty Meyers, with his punk haircut and walrus mustache; and Larry Zox, heavyset, his wavy hair swept back, signaling for the bartender.
—Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2025
In addition to showcasing the Arctic’s raw, austere beauty and wildlife encounters such as sightings of polar bears, walruses, wolves, giant musk ox, narwhal, and snowy owls, the voyage shines a spotlight on the Indigenous people who have stewarded the region’s unusual ecosystems for 5,000 years.
—Robin Catalano, AFAR Media, 15 Sep. 2025
The mobiles stir like birds or trees; the stabiles squat, grumpy and irregular, like walruses.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for walrus
Cite this Entry
“Walrus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/walrus. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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