a very large massive gregarious artiodactyl mammal, Hippopotamus amphibius, living in or around the rivers of tropical Africa: family Hippopotamidae. It has short legs and a thick skin sparsely covered with hair
2. pigmy hippopotamus
Word origin
C16: from Latin, from Greek hippopotamos river horse, from hippos horse + potamos river
Examples of 'hippopotami' in a sentence
hippopotami
At times it seemed like a clumsy dance routine, choreographed for hippopotami like the sequence in Fantasia.
Adam, Paul A NASTY DOSE OF DEATH
Many of the bathers exhibited the bulk and the posture of wallowing hippopotami.
Aldiss, Brian SOMEWHERE EAST OF LIFE
Thus, baldness was treated with the fat of potent predators, such as lions, crocodiles, and hippopotami.