Pachydermatous (adjective)Pronounced:
pack-ih-DER-muh-tuss
Definitions:
1 : of or relating to the pachyderms
2 a: thick, thickened b: callous, insensitive
Example Sentence:
After 27 years of teaching high school, Mrs. Wilson’s pachydermatous exterior was impervious to the insults of smart mouthed teenagers.
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French zoologist George Cuvier first referred to elephants, rhinos, hippos and the like as “pachydermata” in the late 1700s. The word, from Greek origins, literally translates to “thick skinned.”
Then, in the 19th century, we began calling such animals “pachyderms” and also using “pachydermatous” to refer — both literally and figuratively — to the characteristics of these animals, especially their thick skin.
Which got me thinking …
No one wants to be overweight. And grey is just about the gloomiest color out there. But in all my years of visiting zoos and circuses, I’ve never observed a down-in-the dumps elephant.
Perhaps it’s because they’re thick skinned.
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Definition, pronunciation and historical facts taken from Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary.
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