hyracotherium

[ hahy-ruh-koh-theer-ee-uhm ]

noun

, plural hy·ra·co·the·ri·a [hahy-r, uh, -koh-, theer, -ee-, uh]

1. eohippus.

hyracotherium

/ hī′rə-kō-thîr′ē-əm /

, Plural hyracotheria

1. A small primitive horse that lived about 50 million years ago during the early Eocene Epoch. It had three or four hoofed toes on each foot and is considered by some to be the ancestor of modern horses. It is sometimes called the “dawn horse,” a translation of its earlier scientific name, Eohippus.

Word History and Origins

Origin of hyracotherium¹

< New Latin (1840): a genus name; hyrax, -o-, -there

Example Sentences

In the Tapir (fig. 106, A) and Hyracotherium the fifth digit is fully developed but is scarcely functional.

From Project Gutenberg

Hyracotherium leporinum, Palaeotherium and a few other mammals are recorded.

From Project Gutenberg