elephant

noun

el·​e·​phant ˈe-lə-fənt How to pronounce elephant (audio)
plural elephants also elephant
often attributive
1
a
: a thickset, usually extremely large, nearly hairless, herbivorous mammal (family Elephantidae, the elephant family) that has a snout elongated into a muscular trunk and two incisors in the upper jaw developed especially in the male into long ivory tusks:
(1)
: a tall, large-eared mammal (Loxodonta africana) of tropical Africa that is sometimes considered to comprise two separate species (L. africana of sub-Saharan savannas and L. cyclotis of central and western rainforests)

called also African elephant

(2)
: a relatively small-eared mammal (Elephas maximus) of forests of southeastern Asia

called also Asian elephant, Indian elephant

b
: any of various extinct relatives of the elephant see mammoth, mastodon
2
: one that is uncommonly large or hard to manage see also elephant in the room

Illustration of elephant

Illustration of elephant
  • 1 African
  • 2 Asian

Examples of elephant in a Sentence

by any standard, the new shopping mall will be an elephant and one that is certain to alter the retail landscape
Recent Examples on the Web But, until now, scientists had not documented any instances of Asian elephants burying their dead. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Mar. 2024 And now the company says scientists have for the first time created induced pluripotent stem cells for the mammoth's closest living relative: Asian elephants. Rob Stein, NPR, 6 Mar. 2024 Colossal has partnered with researchers working on elephant endotheliotropic herpes virus (EEHV), a leading cause of death for young Asian elephants. Matt Reynolds, WIRED, 6 Mar. 2024 This includes recently passing an ordinance declaring that elephants have the right to liberty. Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2024 Nearly 200 elephants died due to water shortages as a result of hot temperatures, the nation’s wildlife authority said. Ray Ndlovu, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2024 The elephant calf is likely around a year old, and has albinism, Potgieter told Live Science. Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2024 Small snapping shrimp can produce popping sounds of up to 250 decibels, while large elephants use their trunks to make noises up to 125 decibels. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 28 Feb. 2024 Trumpeting elephants can only reach 125 decibels, per a statement from the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum in Germany. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'elephant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French olifant, elefant, from L. elephantus, from Greek elephant-, elephas

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of elephant was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near elephant

Cite this Entry

“Elephant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elephant. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

elephant

noun
el·​e·​phant ˈel-ə-fənt How to pronounce elephant (audio)
: any of a family of huge thickset nearly hairless mammals that have the snout lengthened into a trunk and two incisors in the upper jaw developed into long outward-curving pointed ivory tusks and that include two living forms:
a
: one with large ears that occurs in tropical Africa
b
: one with relatively small ears that occurs in forests of southeastern Asia

More from Merriam-Webster on elephant

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