n. Any of various hoofed mammals of the order Perissodactyla, having an odd number of toes, either one or three, on each foot. Perissodactyls include the horses, tapirs, and rhinoceroses. [New Latin perissodactylus, from Greek perissodaktulos : perissos, excessive, odd (from peri, beyond); see per1 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + daktulos, finger.] pe·ris′so·dactyl adj. |
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