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pachyderm
(pak′ə dʉrm′)
noun
- any of certain large, thick-skinned, hoofed animals, as the elephant, rhinoceros, and hippopotamus, formerly classified together
- a thick-skinned, insensitive, stolid person
Origin: Fr pachyderme < Gr pachydermos, thick-skinned < pachys, thick (< IE base *bhenĝh-, thick, dense > Sans bahú-, dense, much) + derma, skin: see derma
Related Forms:
- pachydermal adjective or pachydermic
See pachyderm in American Heritage Dictionary 4
noun
Any of various large, thick-skinned, hoofed mammals such as the elephant, rhinoceros, or hippopotamus.
Origin:
Origin: French pachyderme
Origin: , from New Latin *Pachyderma
Origin: , sing. of Pachydermata, obsolete order name
Origin: , from Greek pakhudermos, thick-skinned
Origin: : pakhus, thick
Origin: + derma, skin; see derma1
.Related Forms:
- pachˌy·derˈmal, pachˌy·derˈmic, pachˌy·derˈmous adjective
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