pachyderm
/ˈpæk.ɪˌdɜː(ɹ)m/ noun
Forms pachyderms
- noun (obsolete, zoology) A member of the obsolete taxonomic order Pachydermata, grouping of thick-skinned, hoofed animals such as the rhinoceros, hippopotamus, elephant and tapir.
- noun (informal) An elephant.
- noun (figurative) A person with thick skin; someone who is not affected by or does not care what others say about them.
- noun (figurative) Someone who is insensitive.
Etymology
Borrowed from French pachyderme, equivalent to pachy- (“thick”) + -derm (“skin”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun One of the Pachydermata.
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “pachyderm”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details