rhino

¹

[ rahy-noh ]

noun

, plural rhi·nos, (especially collectively) rhi·no.

1. a rhinoceros.

rhino

²

[ rahy-noh ]

noun

, Chiefly British Slang.

1. money; cash.

rhino-

³

1. a combining form meaning “nose,” used in the formation of compound words:

   rhinology.

rhino-

¹

combining_form

1. indicating the nose or nasal

   rhinology

rhino

²

/ ˈraɪnəʊ /

noun

1. a slang word for money

rhino

³

/ ˈraɪnəʊ /

noun

1. short for rhinoceros

Word History and Origins

Origin of rhino¹

First recorded in 1880–85; by shortening

Origin of rhino²

First recorded in 1680–90; origin uncertain

Origin of rhino³

< Greek rhīno-, combining form of rhī́s (stem rhīn- )

Word History and Origins

Origin of rhino¹

from Greek rhis, rhin

Origin of rhino²

C17: of unknown origin

Example Sentences

A recent urban jungle collection, which popped up over a series of days across London, saw its elephant defaced with stripes, wolf appear to be stolen within hours, cat taken down, and a tag spray painted over the rhino.

From BBC

Mr Wonderful Takes a Cruise and its sequel Mr Wonderful Seeks Immortality detail his trips to, among other places, Bromley, Balham and the nightclub Spearmint Rhino.

From BBC

Opened in 1994, three years later a white rhino escaped South Lakes and was shot.

From BBC

Not all giants vanished, however: glancing atop a shelf in Martinelli’s office, I spotted a model of Toxodon, a nine foot long hoofed creature which weighed one ton and looked like an “evolutionary Frankenstein” combining hippo, rhino and rodent-like features.

From Salon

Banksy completed his urban jungle with a rhino mounting a Nissan Micra which had a traffic cone on its bonnet.

From BBC

Words That Use rhino-

What does rhino- mean?

Rhino- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “nose.” It is often used in medical terms.

Rhino- comes from the Greek rhī́s, meaning “nose.”

What are variants of rhino-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, rhino- becomes rhin-, as in rhinal.

Examples of rhino-

You’ve likely heard of the rhinoceros, the wonderful but incredibly endangered pachyderm.

But do you know why it’s called a rhinoceros? Because of its distinctive horn (or horns) on its snout! Rhinoceros comes from the Greek rhīnókerōs, with rhīno- meaning “nose” and -kerōs meaning “horned.” So, rhinoceros literally translates to “nose-horned.”

Looking for a fancy word for a runny nose? Try rhinorrhea, “an excessive discharge of mucus from the nose.”

What are some words that use the combining form rhino-?

• rhinocele
• rhinocleisis
• rhinodynia
• rhinogenous
• rhinokyphosis
• rhinolalia
• rhinology
• rhinomycosis
• rhinonecrosis
• rhinopathy
• rhinopharyngitis
• rhinoscopy
• rhinotomy

What are some other forms that rhino- may be commonly confused with?

• rhizo-
• rheo-
• ribo-

Break it down!

The combining form -plasty is often used to mean “plastic surgery.” If rhino- means “nose,” what is rhinoplasty?