Illustration of elephant
- 1 African
- 2 Asian
elephant
noun
el·e·phant
ˈe-lə-fənt 
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
2
: one that is uncommonly large or hard to manage see also elephant in the room
Synonyms
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 the 54-room boutique hotel will also include nods to the brand’s beachy Nantucket and Palm Beach locations, like elephant door knockers at the entrance to each room and suite.
—
Beth Luberecki, USA TODAY, 24 Jan. 2025
This development is raising concerns for the region's unique ecosystem, particularly its colonies of King penguins and millions of elephant and fur seals.
—John Yoo and John Shu, Newsweek, 23 Jan. 2025
Share [Findings] Assamese tribesmen were found to identify with elephants through a sense of mutual loss, poverty, and uncertainty.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 22 Jan. 2025
The monkeys and elephants are long-gone, and the casino has seen better days.
—Will Yakowicz, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025
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Beth Luberecki, USA TODAY, 24 Jan. 2025
This development is raising concerns for the region's unique ecosystem, particularly its colonies of King penguins and millions of elephant and fur seals.
—John Yoo and John Shu, Newsweek, 23 Jan. 2025
Share [Findings] Assamese tribesmen were found to identify with elephants through a sense of mutual loss, poverty, and uncertainty.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 22 Jan. 2025
The monkeys and elephants are long-gone, and the casino has seen better days.
—Will Yakowicz, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for elephant
Dictionary Entries Near elephant
Cite this Entry
“Elephant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elephant. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
elephant
noun
el·e·phant
ˈel-ə-fənt
: 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
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