perissodactyl

P3E1R1I1S1S1O1D2A1C3T1Y4L1

noun

Any ungulate mammal with an odd number of toes and belonging to the Perissodactyla, an equid, a tapir, or a rhinoceros.

Similar
odd-toed ungulateperissodactyl mammal
OriginAncient Greek δάκτυλος (dáktulos) ← Proto-Indo-European *per- →
Scrabble 21
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Meanings

nounperissodactyl (plural perissodactyls)

plural perissodactyls

  1. Any ungulate mammal with an odd number of toes and belonging to the Perissodactyla, an equid, a tapir, or a rhinoceros.

    The chalicotheres were among the strangest mammals that ever lived. They were perissodactyls - relatives of horses, rhinos and tapirs - and if all you had seen of one was its head, you might have mistaken it for a very strange horse.

    2018, Tim Flannery, Europe: A Natural History, page 102

Synonyms & antonyms

nounplacental mammals having hooves with an odd number of toes on each foot

Similar
odd-toed ungulateperissodactyl mammal
Broader
ungulatehoofed mammal
Also see
odd-toed ungulate

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*per-
  2. Ancient Greekπερί (perí)
  3. Ancient Greekπερῐ- (perĭ-)
  4. Ancient Greekπερισσός (perissós)
  5. Ancient Greekδάκτυλος (dáktulos)
  6. Englishperissodactyl

From Ancient Greek περισσός (perissós, “uneven”) + δάκτυλος (dáktulos, “finger, toe”). Compare the taxon name Perissodactyla.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian нечифтокопитно
  • нечифтокопитно (nečiftokopitno)odd-toed ungulate
Catalan perissodàctil
  • perissodàctilodd-toed ungulate
Czech lichokopytník
  • lichokopytníkodd-toed ungulate
Dutch onevenhoevige
  • onevenhoevigeodd-toed ungulate
Finnish kavioeläin
  • kavioeläinodd-toed ungulate
German Unpaarhufer, Unpaarzeher
  • Unpaarhuferodd-toed ungulate
  • Unpaarzeherodd-toed ungulate
Hungarian páratlanujjú patás
  • páratlanujjú patásodd-toed ungulate
Icelandic staktæð hófdýr, eiginleg hófdýr
  • staktæð hófdýrodd-toed ungulate
  • eiginleg hófdýrodd-toed ungulate
  • hófdýr með staka tölu táaodd-toed ungulate
Italian perissodattilo
  • perissodattiloodd-toed ungulate
Slovak nepárnokopytník
  • nepárnokopytníkodd-toed ungulate
Welsh carnolyn odfyseddog
  • carnolyn odfyseddogodd-toed ungulate
Cite this entry
APA

perissodactyl. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/perissodactyl

MLA

“perissodactyl.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/perissodactyl. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “perissodactyl,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/perissodactyl.

Source: perissodactyl on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.