How do you pronounce hippopotamus?

The recorded pronunciation is /ˌhɪp.əˈpɑ.tə.məs/.

Where does hippopotamus come from?

It is traced to Latin. First known use: First attested in the 1560s.

hippopotamus

/ˌhɪp.əˈpɑ.tə.məs/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.56 in modern English

Syllables: hip-po-po-ta-mus
IPA: /ˌhɪp.əˈpɑ.tə.məs/

Scrabble Score

Letters

Syllables

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A semi-aquatic, herbivorous, African hoofed mammal of the family Hippopotamidae.

noun

The common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius).

Example Sentences

"These were the first hippopotami that we had ever seen, and, to judge by their insatiable curiosity, I should judge that we were the first white men that they had ever seen."

Etymology

From Latin and New Latin hippopotamus, from Ancient Greek ἱπποπόταμος (hippopótamos), from ἵππος (híppos, “horse”) (English hippo-) + ποταμός (potamós, “river”). First attested in the 1560s. Displaced displaced English nicker (from native Old English nicor) and river horse.

Origin

Source language: Latin
First known use: First attested in the 1560s

Word Breakdown

Root: *peth₂-, *h₁eḱ-, -, ἱπποπόταμος

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˌhɪp.əˈpɑ.tə.məs/
British English: /ˌhɪp.əˈpɒt.ə.məs/

Inflected Forms

hippopotami (plural) hippopotamuses (plural) hippopotamos (alternative, archaic) hippotamus (alternative)

Derived Forms

dependapotamus hippo hippopotamic hippopotamoid hippopotamuslike

Phrases

common hippopotamus Hippopotamus Defence pygmy hippopotamus woolly hippopotamus hippo-

Frequently Paired Words

hippo- hippopotamine Mesopotamia potamic hypotenuse hypothalamus

Synonyms

hippo hippopotamid river horse hippopotamus amphibius