pachyderm
noun
- any of the Pachydermata, an obsolete 19th-century taxonomic order of mammals that included elephants, rhinoceroses, tapirs and hippopotami.
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈpæk.ɪˌdɜː(ɹ)m/
noun
Etymology: Borrowed from French pachyderme, equivalent to pachy- (“thick”) + -derm (“skin”).
- A member of the obsolete taxonomic order Pachydermata, grouping of thick-skinned, hoofed animals such as the rhinoceros, hippopotamus, elephant and tapir.
- An elephant.
“And so it happened that before the elephant realized that his new enemy had leaped from his path Tarzan had driven his iron-shod spear from behind the massive shoulder straight into the fierce heart, and the colossal pachyderm had toppled to his death at the feet of the ape-man.”
“Among five score pachyderm / Each canopied and passengered / Sit the duke and the duchess' luscious young girls”
- A person with thick skin; someone who is not affected by or does not care what others say about them.
- Someone who is insensitive.