English Reference

Word

hippo

Phoneticship·po

US/ˈhɪpoʊ/

UK/hˈɪpəʊ/

Definition

n. a very large, heavy animal from Africa with thick skin and big teeth that lives near water. It is short for the longer word 'hippopotamus'.

n. a large, semi-aquatic herbivorous mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa, characterized by a barrel-shaped torso and wide-opening mouth. A common clipped form of 'hippopotamus'.

Examples

“The hippo stays in the water to keep its skin cool.”

“During the safari, we watched a hippo submerge itself in the river until only its eyes were visible.”

“Despite their bulky appearance and herbivorous diet, the hippo is known to be one of the most aggressive and territorial animals in the African wilderness.”

Examples

simple

“The hippo stays in the water to keep its skin cool.”

contextual

“During the safari, we watched a hippo submerge itself in the river until only its eyes were visible.”

complex

“Despite their bulky appearance and herbivorous diet, the hippo is known to be one of the most aggressive and territorial animals in the African wilderness.”

Usage

The plural form is 'hippos'.

Domain

Business

This entry

Level
A2 · Elementary
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/hippo

English Reference