Taxidermists

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals who prepare, stuff, and mount animal skins for display purposes
2. professionals skilled in the preservation of animal specimens for educational or artistic exhibits
3. specialists who reconstruct and preserve the appearance of deceased animals for collectors or museums

Etymology: "Taxidermists" is the plural of "taxidermist", which is one of the people who stuff and mount animal skins. The singular is formed from "taxidermy", a term built on Greek roots: "taxis", meaning arrangement, and "derma", meaning skin. Together they describe the arranging of skin, which is exactly what the craft involves: fitting a preserved hide over a form so the animal looks lifelike.