A Conversation for The Rhinoceros

Plural...

Post 1

Crescent

...what is the plural of rhinoceros?
BCNU - Crescent


Plural...

Post 2

Sam-I-am

I was about to reply with "rhinoceroses", but then decided to ask Merriam-Webster (www.m-w.com).

Main Entry: rhi·noc·er·os
Pronunciation: rI-'näs-r&s, r&-, -'nä-s&-
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -noc·er·os·es or -noc·er·os or rhi·noc·eri /-'nä-s&-"rI/


Plural...

Post 3

ITIWBS

Webster's Dictionary of colloquial malapropisms notwithstanding, myself, I think in a serious article, I would go with the Oxford English Dictionary, recommended in many American collegiate schools as a better guide to precise and careful usage.

With Webster, it is sufficient to show five authors making the same usage of a word for that to become an accepted usage by Webster, a policy that is susceptible to abuse, which also encourages carelessness.


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