Hippopotamidae

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A family of large, mostly herbivorous mammals native to Africa, characterized by their massive bodies and short legs; they are semi-aquatic and often found in rivers and lakes
2. This group includes the common hippopotamus and its closer relatives, known for their large mouths and thick skin adapted to both land and water
3. Encompassing large, predominantly aquatic creatures that exhibit a herbivorous diet and live in social groups, they are recognized for their significant bulk and powerful jaws

Etymology: Hippopotamidae is a scientific name, and its history is plain: it is a taxonomic coinage built from Greek. The first part comes from "hippos," the Greek word for horse, which also gave the animal its common name, since ancient Greeks called the river beast a "river horse." The second part, "-idae," is a standard Latinized suffix used across zoology to mark a taxonomic family, here derived from the genus name "Hippopotamus." The genus name itself reaches back to Greek "potamos," meaning river, so the whole word translates roughly as "river horse family." The Greek name was adopted by Latin writers and then by modern naturalists, who used it to classify the animals scientifically. The "-idae" ending follows the pattern of families such as Felidae for cats and Canidae for dogs, which tells a zoologist at a glance that the word names a group rather than a single species.

Synonyms: hippopotamus family