hippo

noun

SayHIP-ohUS/ˈhɪpoʊ/UK/ˈhɪpəʊ/

Pluralhippos

4 meanings of hippo

1
nounabbreviationclipping
Clipping of hippopotamus. A short, casual way to say the animal's name.
The kids pressed against the glass to watch the hippo wallow in the mud.
Three hippos surfaced near our boat on the river.
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2
nounderogatorycolloquialcountable
A cruel, insulting word for a person who is very fat.
The other kids cruelly called him a hippo whenever he changed for gym class.
She felt like a hippo squeezing into the tiny airplane seat.
Similarfatty, fatso, whale, fatass
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3
nounslanghistoricalSouth Africacountable
A type of armored truck that South Africa's army used to carry soldiers safely.
Like a moving metal box that keeps the people inside safe.
The patrol climbed into the hippo before heading out at dawn.
Soldiers relied on the hippo to shield them from landmines on rough roads.
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4
nouncolloquialcountable
A careful way of starting a chess game where you keep your pawns low and hide your stronger pieces behind them.
Like a turtle pulling into its shell and waiting for the right moment to strike.
She surprised her opponent by setting up a hippo and waiting for him to overextend.
In the club championship he defended with a hippo and slowly untangled his pieces.
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