Meanings
plural anthros
- informaluncountableAnthropology.
Unlikely as it seemed, he might somehow return to the Empire, and if that happened, any information he could bring back would be valuable to the socio and anthro specialists.
1992, Ann Wilson, Fearful Symmetry1 more example
I gather the phrase is used in lieu of some more practical benefit, e.g., a "job," which, as holders of English lit and anthro degrees can tell you, isn't necessarily part of the program.
1988 September 9, Cecil Adams, “The Straight Dope”, in Chicago Reader - countableinformalAn anthropologist.
Workshop anthros often ask Indians of tender age to give their authoritative answers to problems which an entire generation of Indians is just now beginning to solve.
1969, Vine Deloria, Jr., Custer Died for your Sins1 more example
While Deloria may have hoped to move anthropologists to be more appreciative, Erdoes simply sets scholars up as straw men for the average non-Indian academic reader to self-servingly scorn. Anthros are responsible for believing reservation Indians are “warriors without weapons” (1972:36-37)
1994, Julian Rice, “A ventriloquy of anthros”, in American Indian Quarterly, page 176 - countableinformalslanglifestyleAn anthropomorphic character, typically used to refer to characters with humanoid forms in contrast with feral characters.
Extra animals add complexity, but the benefit is that you're more likely to create a unique new character. There's hundreds of wolf anthros, but how many zebra-striped pig-tigers are there?
2012, Lindsay Cibos, Jared Hodges, Draw More Furries: How to Create Anthropomorphic Fantasy Creatures1 more example
Today I cycled down to Westboro Beach and watched the boats on the river/lake for a while. This led me to wonder if anthros would like sailing and why ... I finally decided that it would be something that otters would love to do.
2001 May 22, Jeff Novotny, “Anthros and Sports”, in alt.fan.furry (Usenet)
- informalnot comparableanthropomorphic
They are to anthro cartoonists what Trekkies are to Star Trek, gathering for special conventions that feature anthro cartoons and cartoonists.
2004, Brad Guigar, The everything cartooning book, page 146
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
Shortening.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 獸人 /兽人
- 獸人 /兽人 (shòurén)An anthropomorphic character.
Esperanto homformulo, homformulino
- homformuloAn anthropomorphic character.
- homformulinoAn anthropomorphic character.
- homformaAnthropomorphic.
French anthro
- anthroAn anthropomorphic character.
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
anthro. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anthro
“anthro.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anthro. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “anthro,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anthro.
Source: anthro on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.