What does rhino mean?
A rhino is a large, heavy mammal belonging to the rhinoceros family. It has a thick, hairless skin, short legs, and usually one or two horns on its snout. Rhinos live in Africa and, in the case of the Sumatran and Javan species, parts of Asia. The informal word is especially common in discussions of wildlife conservation, illegal hunting, and the international trade in rhino horn. Its horns are made from keratin rather than bone and are valuable to horn and ivory collectors, making rhinos targets of poaching. Although “rhinoceros” is the formal name, “rhino” is standard in everyday English and widely used by conservation organizations. The word may also be used informally for a rhinoceros beetle, an insect noted for the horn-like projection on its thorax.
nounA large, heavy mammal with a thick, mostly hairless skin and one or two horns on its snout. The term is an informal shortened form of rhinoceros and can also refer informally to a rhinoceros beetle.
- A rhinoceros, especially any of the large, heavy, thick-skinned mammals with horns on the snout.
- Informally, a rhinoceros beetle.
"A northern white rhino grazed beside a group of zebras on the open plain."
"Conservation teams fitted a radio collar to the rhino before releasing it back into the reserve."
"The entomologist identified the large black beetle as a rhino from the horn on its thorax."
The regular plural is “rhinos,” used for both the animals and, informally, the beetles.
"Two rhinos crossed the dusty track as the safari vehicle approached."
A rhinoceros's horn is made of keratin, the same basic material as human fingernails and hair, rather than bone.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of rhino
The word comes from modern English rhinoceros, which was borrowed from Greek rhinokeratos, a compound of rhinos, “nose,” and keras, “horn.” English later developed the shortened form “rhino,” which became the familiar everyday name for the animal. The full word rhinoceros also gave English the names of related insects, including the rhinoceros beetle.
How rhino is actually used
“Rhino” is the familiar shortened form of “rhinoceros” and is widely used in general speech, conservation reports, and headlines. As a shortened noun for the beetle, it is chiefly informal.
Easily confused with rhino
A rhino is the informal name for the same animal that is formally called a rhinoceros.