taxidermy

[ tak-si-dur-mee ]

noun

1. the art of preparing and preserving the skins of animals and of stuffing and mounting them in lifelike form.

taxidermy

/ ˈtæksɪˌdɜːmɪ /

noun

1. the art or process of preparing, stuffing, and mounting animal skins so that they have a lifelike appearance

Derived Forms

• ˈtaxiˌdermist, noun
• ˌtaxiˈdermal, adjective

Other Word Forms

• taxi·dermal taxi·dermic adjective
• taxi·dermist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of taxidermy¹

1810–20; taxi- + Greek dérm ( a ) skin ( derma ¹ ) + -y ³

Word History and Origins

Origin of taxidermy¹

C19: from Greek taxis arrangement + -dermy, from Greek derma skin

Example Sentences

After the wildlife officers got back to their stomping grounds, they wrote up search warrants — one for the couple’s Chico home and another for the family member in Napa County with the fondness for taxidermy.

From Los Angeles Times

Alone, they plead for forgiveness, like when Shannon scales a mound of salt clutching a taxidermy bird like he fancies himself the heroine of “The Sound of Music.”

From Los Angeles Times

Janney’s former showgirl character populates her mansion with taxidermy birds who reflect the plumage of her old career and because, “she is kind of a prisoner in her birdcage of a house with her marriage.”

From Los Angeles Times

Once again, the setting is an old creepy mansion filled with taxidermy and firelight.

From Los Angeles Times

Southeast London has temporarily lost one of its most famous residents: a giant taxidermy walrus that has been on display for more than a century.

From New York Times