Meanings
plural deinotheres · alternative dinothere
- biologyAny of the genus †Deinotherium of large, extinct proboscidean mammals, a relative of modern elephants.First known use 19th c.
Over the Miocene the European deinotheres became enormous, some reaching weights of 15 tonnes—making them among the largest land mammals ever to have existed.
2018, Tim Flannery, Europe: The First 100 Million Years, Penguin, published 2019, page 105Synonyms: deinotherium
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAny of the genus †Deinotherium of large, extinct proboscidean mammals, a relative of modern elephants.
Origin
- Ancient Greekδεινός“fearful, terrible”
- Englishdeinothere
From scientific Latin Deinotherium (genus name), from Ancient Greek δεινός (deinós, “fearful, terrible”) + θηρίον (thēríon, “wild beast”).
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
deinothere. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/deinothere
“deinothere.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/deinothere. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “deinothere,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/deinothere.
Source: deinothere on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.