Definition

Noun: 1. A small marine fish of the genus Hippocampus, characterized by a head and neck that resemble those of a horse, a prehensile tail, bony plates covering its body, and the unique trait of the male carrying the fertilized eggs in a brood pouch. 2. (Archaic) A walrus (Odobenus rosmarus), a large marine mammal with tusks and thick blubber.

Usage and Examples

• Noun (Modern, primary meaning):
  • The seahorse is one of the few animal species where the male becomes pregnant.
  • We saw a yellow seahorse clinging to a piece of coral with its tail.
• Noun (Archaic meaning):
  • In old nautical charts, the term seahorse sometimes referred to the walrus.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in discussions of marine biology, conservation, and unique animal reproductive strategies.
• It appears in mythology and heraldry, where the creature is a hybrid symbol of the sea and land.

Variants and Related Words

• Sea horse: An alternative, less common spelling.
• Hippocampus: The scientific genus name for seahorses, also the name of a part of the human brain.
• Walrus: The modern and specific term for the large marine mammal historically called a "seahorse."

Synonyms

• Hippocampus (scientific).
• Walrus (for the archaic meaning only).

Related Phrases and Idioms

Noun

1. small fish with horse-like heads bent sharply downward and curled tails; swim in upright position
2. either of two large northern marine mammals having ivory tusks and tough hide over thick blubber