Atherurus is a term used to describe a genus of rodent which belongs to the family Erethizontidae. The word is pronounced as "æθɪrʊrʌs" using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). The first syllable 'a' is pronounced as "æ" which represents an open front unrounded vowel sound. The second syllable 'ther' is pronounced as "θɪr" following a voiceless dental fricative sound. The suffix 'urus' is pronounced as "ʊrʌs" which represents an opening and closing mouth vowel sound, followed by an open-mid back unrounded vowel sound.
The word "atherurus" has its origins in Greek. It is derived from the Greek words "aither" meaning "air" or "ether", and "ouros" meaning "tail". When combined, "atherurus" refers to an animal with an airy or feathery tail.