Walrus

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈwɔːl.ɹəs/

Definitions

1. A large marine mammal with a stocky body, long tusks, and thick whiskers that inhabits Arctic waters and ice floes
2. A tusked Arctic seal-like creature with a massive body, prominent whiskers, and ivory teeth that dwells in polar seas and ice
3. An enormous marine mammal featuring elongated canine teeth, thick sensory bristles, and a bulky frame adapted for life in frigid northern oceans

Etymology: The walrus was once called something very close to its literal description. Old English speakers named it "horshwæl," meaning "horse-whale," a name built from the two creatures the animal seemed to resemble, perhaps for its bulk, its blubbery bulk, and the bristled tusks that hang from its face. That native name was later pushed aside by a borrowing from Dutch, where the animal was "walrus," a compound of "wal" (whale) and "ros" (horse). The Dutch term is the probable source of the English word, which displaced the older Old English name. The same pattern appears across the North Sea and Scandinavia: Danish has "hvalros," Old Norse had "hrosshvalr," and German has "Walross." Each language independently grouped the animal with horses and whales, suggesting that the comparison was an obvious one to sailors and northern peoples who encountered these creatures in the Arctic.

Synonyms: morse, sea cow