noun

walrus

WAWL-ruhs

noun

A large Arctic marine mammal with tusks, thick wrinkled skin, and flippers.

"A walrus hauled itself onto the ice floe to rest."

Informally, a man with a thick, drooping moustache resembling a walrus's.

"Her grandfather sported an impressive walrus moustache."

How to Use Walrus

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe tusked Arctic sea mammal, or a bushy drooping moustache named after it.

Common pairings

walrus moustache walrus tusks

Word Forms

walrussed past tense, walrused past tense, walruses plural, walrus plural, walrusses plural, walri plural, walrii plural, walruses singular, walrusses singular

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

A _____ hauled itself onto the ice floe to rest.

Etymology

Borrowed from Dutch walrus, itself a blend of wal ("whale") and ros ("horse") — an old sailors' description of the animal as part-whale, part-horse.