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Glite Dictionary
hippo

hippo

31 1.0
A very large heavy African animal that eats plants and lives in rivers
  • noun
  • /ˈhɪpoʊ/
  • Informal
: hipopótamo
  • In Africa, a hippo can weigh over 3,000 pounds and spend much of its time in the water.
  • hippos in rivers
  • hippos and elephants
  • hippo pools

So people often think hippos, oh, hippos are tremendous swimmers.

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Examples

  • You don't want to get on the bad side of a hippo or a rhino.

  • The hippo then charges at speeds of up to 20 miles an hour.

    Academic text (2011)

  • And tell him about the hippo, darling.

    Water for Elephants (2011)

  • The River Pride feeds on a dead hippo washed up on the river's bank.

    African Cats (2011)

  • As water levels in rivers fall, hippos crowd into smaller and smaller areas.

    Academic text (2011)

  • When the river is flowing well, every stretch between its rapids hosts herds of hippos.

    Academic text (2011)

  • Most hippo-related human fatalities happen when someone stands along a river's edge in a male hippo's turf.

    Academic text (2011)

  • During the dry season, many farmers have to keep a close eye on their crops to protect them from hungry hippos.

  • A group of hippos is often seen lounging together in the sunlight near the riverbank.

Synonyms

hippopotamus
vshippo
11 2.3

A very large animal with thick skin that lives near African rivers and eats plants

is the shorter informal name for the same animal
pachyderm
vshippo
4 9.4

A large animal with very thick skin like an elephant or rhinoceros

is specific to the river-dwelling herbivore rather than that broad group
river horse
vshippo
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A large African animal with thick skin that lives near rivers and eats plants

is the common short modern form rather than the old-fashioned name

Idioms

Hippo birdie two ewe
  • Informal
9.9

A funny way to say Happy birthday using animal names

Surface Forms

hippo singular
hippos plural

Etymology

The word hippo is short for hippopotamus, which comes from the Greek roots hippos 'horse' and potamos 'river'. So a hippo is a 'river horse', a clear image for the very large animal that spends much of its time in the water.