Adjacent Words

Walrus definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

WALRUS, n. [G., a whale, a horse.] The morse or sea horse, an animal of the northern seas, of the genus Trichechus.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: either of two large northern marine mammals having ivory tusks and tough hide over thick blubber [syn: walrus, seahorse, sea horse]

Merriam Webster's

noun (plural walrus or walruses) Etymology: Dutch, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Danish & Norwegian hvalros walrus, Old Norse rosmhvalr Date: 1728 a large gregarious marine mammal (Odobenus rosmarus of the family Odobenidae) of arctic waters that is related to the seals and has long ivory tusks, a tough wrinkled hide, and stiff whiskers and that feeds mainly on bivalve mollusks

Britannica Concise

Only living species (Odobenus rosmarus) of the pinniped family Odobenidae. Larger than the related seals, walrus males grow up to 12 ft (3.7 m) long and weigh up to 2,800 lbs (1,270 kg). Both sexes have long, downward-pointing tusks that may grow to 3 ft (1 m) long and weigh 12 lbs (5.4 kg) each. They have no external ears. The grayish skin is deeply folded over the shoulders. They live on ice floes, in groups of up to 100, on relatively shallow water in arctic seas of Eurasia and N. America. They may dive to great depths in search of food, mostly shellfish. On land and ice, they move on all four limbs. They generally follow the ice line south in winter and north in summer. Traditionally important to native humans as sources of food and clothing, they have also been hunted commercially for centuries, which has resulted in serious depletion of their numbers. Commercial hunting is now generally banned.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. a large amphibious long-tusked arctic mammal, Odobenus rosmarus, related to the seal and sea lion. Phrases and idioms: walrus moustache a long thick drooping moustache. Etymology: prob. f. Du. walrus, -ros, perh. by metath. after walvisch 'whale-fish' f. word repr. by OE horschwæl 'horse-whale'

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Walrus Wal"rus, n. [D. walrus; of Scand. origin; cf. Dan valros, Sw. vallross, Norw. hvalros; literally, whale horse; akin to Icel. hrosshvalr, AS. horshw[ae]l. See Whale, and Horse.] (Zo["o]l.) A very large marine mammal (Trichecus rosmarus) of the Seal family, native of the Arctic Ocean. The male has long and powerful tusks descending from the upper jaw. It uses these in procuring food and in fighting. It is hunted for its oil, ivory, and skin. It feeds largely on mollusks. Called also morse. Note: The walrus of the North Pacific and Behring Strait (Trichecus obesus) is regarded by some as a distinct species, by others as a variety of the common walrus.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(walruses) A walrus is a large, fat animal which lives in the sea. It has two long teeth called tusks that point downwards. N-COUNT

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Morse, sea-horse, sea-cow (Trichechus rosmarus).