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Glite Dictionary
eohippus

eohippus

1 9.9
A small extinct animal with four toes that is an early horse relative
  • noun
  • /ˌiːoʊˈhɪpəs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : eohippus
  • The discovery of eohippus remains provides crucial insights into early mammalian life.

Examples

  • Paleontologists study fossils of eohippus to understand the evolution of horses.

  • Eohippus is prehistoric.

    Phenomenon (1996)

  • The eohippus was a small, four-toed mammal that lived during the Eocene epoch.

Synonyms

Hyracotherium
vseohippus
  • Specialized
9.9

A small extinct animal that was an early ancestor of horses

is the same animal but called by an older scientific name
dawn horse
vseohippus
  • Specialized
9.9

A small extinct animal like an early horse about the size of a dog with four toes

is the formal scientific term used by researchers rather than a descriptive name

Surface Forms

eohippus singular
eohippuses plural

Morphology

eohippus = eo + hippus

Formed from Greek combining elements used in scientific names (eo- + -hippus); these combining forms are not productive or familiar to average learners, so the meaning is not transparently derivable from known English words.

Etymology

Eohippus comes from Greek parts eos meaning 'dawn' and hippos meaning 'horse', so it literally means 'dawn horse'. That's why the name fits: the eohippus is a very early, dog-sized ancestor of the modern horse.