walrus

From Danish hvalros, an inversion of Old Norse hrosshvalr (“horse-whale”). The term may have entered English via Dutch walrus. Compare Icelandic hross (“a horse”) and hvalur (“a whale”), and German Walross.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈwɔːl.ɹəs/, /ˈwɒl.ɹəs/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈwɑl.ɹəs/, /ˈwɔl.ɹəs/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

walrus (plural walruses or walrus or walrusses)

1. A large Arctic marine mammal related to seals and having long tusks, tough, wrinkled skin, and four flippers, Odobenus rosmarus.
   • 1887 — James W. Buel, Sea and Land, page 251.

     Of all the Phocine family none present so terrible and grotesque an appearance as the gigantic Walrus, also known as the morse and sea-horse.

• For more examples of usage of this term, see Citations:walrus.

• morse (obsolete)
• sea horse (rare)

• seal
• sea lion, sealion

From Dutch walrus, probably from Danish hvalros or Swedish valross, from an inversion of Old Norse hrosshvalr (“horse-whale”).

walrus (plural walrusse)

1. walrus, Odobenus rosmarus

From English walrus, from Danish hvalros, an inversion of Old Norse hrosshvalr (literally “horse-whale”). The term may have entered English via Dutch walrus.

• Hyphenation: wal‧rus

walrus

1. a walrus (Odobenus rosmarus)

The origin of this word is not wholly certain, with several theories proposed. Probably borrowed from Danish hvalros or Swedish valross, from an inversion of Old Norse hrosshvalr (“horse-whale”). Equivalent to wal (“whale; large sea-animal”) +‎ ros (“horse”).[1] Preference for borrowing the inverted form could have happened due to the influence of the already existing Dutch compound walvis (“whale”, literally “whale-fish”). An alternate theory is that is comes from wal (“shore”) +‎ reus (“giant”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈʋɑlrʏs/

• audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: wal‧rus

walrus m (plural walrussen, diminutive walrusje n)

1. walrus, any member of the family Odobenidae of which Odobenus rosmarus is the sole extant member

• walrussnor
• walrustand

• Afrikaans: walrus