What does rhinoceros mean?
Word: Rhinoceros
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Rhinoceros means a very large, heavy wild animal with thick grey skin and one or two horns on its nose. People often call it a rhino for short.
Synonyms: rhino
Word origin: From Greek rhis, 'nose', and keras, 'horn'.
How do you spell rhinoceros?
Syllables: rhi - noc - er - os
Tricky part: There is a silent h after the r, just as in the short name rhino.
Watch out for: rinoceros, rhinocerous
Memory tip: Rhino, the short name, already has its h: keep it when you write the long word.
Rhinoceros in a sentence
Example 1: We saw a one-horned rhinoceros on our trip to Assam.
Example 2: The rhinoceros rolled happily in the mud.
Example 3: A baby rhinoceros stays close to its mother.
Fun Fact
A rhinoceros horn is made of keratin, the same stuff that our hair and nails are made of.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
rhino_ _ros
a) ca
b) sa
c) se
d) ce
Show answer
d) ce. We hear s, but rhinoceros spells that sound with ce.
Word Champ
Which of the words cannot be made using the letters in the given word?
rhinoceros
a) horse
b) shine
c) cherry
d) score
Show answer
c) cherry. Rhinoceros has no y anywhere, so cherry cannot be made.
Jumble Tumble
What is the meaning of the word that can be formed from the given letters?
snoirhecro
a) a big wild cat with orange stripes
b) a tall animal with a very long neck
c) a huge grey animal with a horn on its nose
d) a huge grey animal with a long trunk
Show answer
c) a huge grey animal with a horn on its nose. Ten letters, sorted, make rhinoceros.
Spell Spies
Choose the misspelt word/s in the given sentence:
The rhinoceros at the zoo had thick, muddy skin and a long hornn.
a) zoo and thick
b) only hornn
c) only rhinoceros
d) rhinoceros and hornn
Show answer
b) only hornn. Horn has one n; rhinoceros is right.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which national park in Assam is famous for the one-horned rhinoceros?
a) Gir
b) Sundarbans
c) Periyar
d) Kaziranga
Show answer
d) Kaziranga
2. A rhinoceros rolls in mud to ___.
a) keep cool
b) learn to swim
c) make a nest
d) find fish
Show answer
a) keep cool
