hip·po·pot·a·mus
 hippopotamus
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- pronunciation:
- hI
p
pa
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ms
- features:
- Word History, Word Explorer
| part of speech: |
noun |
| inflections: |
hippopotami, hippopotamuses |
| definition: |
a very large, round mammal that has short legs with hooves and thick skin with almost no hair. Hippopotamuses live in or near rivers and lakes of tropical Africa. They eat plants.
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Hippopotamus comes from the ancient Greek word for this animal, which means "horse of the river."