walrus — 1650s, from Du. walrus, which was probably a folk etymology alteration (by influence of Du. walvis whale and ros horse ) of a Scandinavian word, such as O.N. rosmhvalr walrus, hrosshvalr a kind of whale, or rostungr walrus. O.E. had horschwæl,… … Etymology dictionary
walrus — [wôl′rəs] n. pl. walruses or walrus [Du < Dan hvalros, prob. by metathesis < ON hrosshvalr, lit., horse whale < hross, akin to OE hros, horse + hvalr, WHALE1] a massive, arctic sea carnivore (Odobenus rosmarus) of the same family… … English World dictionary
walrus — ► NOUN ▪ a large marine mammal having two large downward pointing tusks, found in the Arctic Ocean. ORIGIN probably Dutch, perhaps from an Old Norse word meaning horse whale … English terms dictionary
Walrus — For other uses, see Walrus (disambiguation). Walrus[1] … Wikipedia
walrus — /wawl reuhs, wol /, n., pl. walruses, (esp. collectively) walrus. a large marine mammal, Odobenus nosmarus, of arctic seas, related to the seals, and having flippers, a pair of large tusks, and a tough, wrinkled skin. [1645 55; < D: lit., whale… … Universalium
Walrus — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Sur les autres projets Wikimedia : « Walrus », sur le Wiktionnaire (dictionnaire universel) … Wikipédia en Français
walrus — [17] Etymologically, a walrus is probably a ‘whale horse’. The word seems to have been borrowed from Dutch walrus, which was an inversion of a presumed prehistoric Germanic compound represented by Old English horschwæl and Old Norse hrosshvalr.… … The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins
walrus — [17] Etymologically, a walrus is probably a ‘whale horse’. The word seems to have been borrowed from Dutch walrus, which was an inversion of a presumed prehistoric Germanic compound represented by Old English horschwæl and Old Norse hrosshvalr.… … Word origins
walrus — Used in American slang since the 1920s, according to Chapman’s Dictionary of American Slang, to refer to a short, fat person. British speakers of English would probably associate the word with the walrus moustache, which hangs down both… … A dictionary of epithets and terms of address
walrus — 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… … New Collegiate Dictionary
