rhinocéros

rhinoceros

noun ree-noh-seh-ROSS Rare

Origin: Greek rhinokeros ('nose-horn')

Usage Note

Rhinocéros is invariable in the plural (unchanged form). It is commonly shortened to rhino in informal speech. Ionesco's famous absurdist play Rhinocéros (1959) gave the word a metaphorical charge in French culture, symbolising conformism and totalitarianism.

Examples

"Le rhinocéros est une espèce menacée."

Natural Translation

The rhinoceros is an endangered species.

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