WordGarden.iohippo
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /hˈɪpəʊ/
US
- /ˈhɪpoʊ/
Meanings
Noun
a large thick-skinned African mammal that lives in and near water
Beyond the definition
Hippo is the short form of "hippopotamus," a very large animal that lives in and around rivers and lakes in Africa. It spends much of the day in water or mud to keep cool and usually comes out later to eat grass. Even though it may look calm, it can be very dangerous, especially when protecting its space or its young.
People usually use "hippo" to mean the animal itself. The full word "hippopotamus" is more formal, but in normal speech and writing, "hippo" is very common.
A hippo is a hippopotamus, a huge plant-eating mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is famous for living both on land and in water, spending many hours in rivers, lakes, and swamps during the day and coming onto land at night to eat grass. Its large body, wide mouth, and strong jaws make it one of the most recognizable animals in the world.
In everyday English, "hippo" is the usual short and friendly word for this animal. People use it in conversation, children's books, news stories, and nature writing. The full form, "hippopotamus," appears more often in formal writing, science, or when someone wants to use the complete name. The word can sometimes be used in a playful way for something very large, heavy, or awkward, but that use is less common.
Although hippos often look slow or gentle when resting in water, they are powerful wild animals and can be very dangerous. They protect their space and their young, and they can move quickly when they need to. For most learners, the main meaning of "hippo" is simply the large African animal whose full name is "hippopotamus."
Examples
- 1
Zoo animal
We saw a hippo resting in the water at the zoo.
- 2
River safety
The guide warned us not to get too close to the hippos by the river.
- 3
Children's books
My niece loves hippos, so we bought her a book about them.
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
- river horse
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- baby hippo
- hippo calf
- pygmy hippo
Explore
- large mammal
- semi-aquatic animal
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- hipponoun
Forms
- hippospluralnoun