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elephant
noun, el·e·phant often attributive \ˈe-lə-fənt\
: a very large gray animal that has a long, flexible nose and two long tusks
plural elephants also elephant
Full Definition of ELEPHANT
1
: any of a family (Elephantidae, the elephant family) of thickset usually extremely large nearly hairless herbivorous mammals that have a snout elongated into a muscular trunk and two incisors in the upper jaw developed especially in the male into large ivory tusks and that include two living forms and various extinct relatives: as a : a tall large-eared mammal (Loxodonta africana) of tropical Africa —called also African elephant b : a relatively small-eared mammal (Elephas maximus) of forests of southeastern Asia —called also Asian elephant, Indian elephant
2
: an animal or fossil related to the elephants
3
: one that is uncommonly large or hard to manage
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Origin of ELEPHANT
Middle English, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French olifant, elefant, from L. elephantus, from Greek elephant-, elephas
First Known Use: 14th century
Related to ELEPHANT
ELEPHANTS Defined for Kids
elephant
noun el·e·phant \ˈe-lə-fənt\
Definition of ELEPHANT for Kids
: a huge typically gray mammal of Africa or Asia with the nose drawn out into a long trunk and two large curved tusks
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