Odobenus

Translingual

Etymology

As if from New Latin *odobēnus, *odobaenus, from Ancient Greek ὀδούς (odoús, tusk, tooth) + βαίνω (baínō, to walk, go on foot) +‎ Latin -us (forming a noun), with unusual (likely erroneous) contraction of the first root (ὀδοντ- (odont-)), which normally yields odonto-. Literally, tooth-walker, referring to walruses' method of pulling themselves up onto floating ice using their tusks.

Proper noun

Odobenus m

  1. A taxonomic genus within the family Odobenidae – the walrus.

Hypernyms

Hyponyms

References