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Glite Dictionary
Ceratotherium simum

Ceratotherium simum

9.8
A very large light grey African rhinoceros with two horns that is endangered in the wild
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Ceratotherium simum
  • Wildlife reserves in Africa are working to protect the remaining Ceratotherium simum from extinction.

Examples

  • Due to poaching, the population of Ceratotherium simum has dramatically declined in recent decades.

  • The Ceratotherium simum is the largest species of rhinoceros in the world.

  • The Ceratotherium simum is one of the largest rhinoceros species.

  • Did you know that the Ceratotherium simum can weigh over 2,000 kilograms?

  • Wildlife reserves in Africa are working to protect the remaining Ceratotherium simum from extinction.

  • Due to poaching, the population of Ceratotherium simum has dramatically declined in recent decades.

  • The Ceratotherium simum is the largest species of rhinoceros in the world.

Synonyms

white rhinoceros
vsCeratotherium simum
  • South African
5.3

A very large light grey African animal with two horns that eats grass

is the formal scientific name used in taxonomy rather than the common name
Diceros simus
vsCeratotherium simum
  • South African
9.9

A large light grey African rhino with two horns that is now endangered

is the currently accepted scientific name rather than this alternative

Surface Forms

Ceratotherium simum singular
Ceratotherium simums plural

Morphology

Ceratotherium + simum

This Latin binomial combines a genus name 'Ceratotherium' (given as a group of large African rhinoceroses) with a species epithet 'simum' which has no dictionary definition here; a learner who knows the genus would reasonably infer it names a kind of rhinoceros but would not be able to derive the specific common name or conservation status. Taxonomic binomials are formally compositional (genus + species) and thus give partial cues across languages, but the species-level meaning requires specialist knowledge, so the expression is only partially transparent to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Ceratotherium simum may come from old Greek and Latin words: Ceratotherium means 'horned beast' and simum means 'flat-nosed'. This simple picture — a large, horned animal with a broad, flat mouth — helps explain why this name is used for the white rhinoceros.