Definition of elephant Elephant

/ɛˈlʌfʌnt/ - [elufunt] - el•e•phant

We found 13 definitions of elephant from 8 different sources.

What does elephant mean?

WordNet

Noun Plural: elephants
elephant - five-toed pachyderm
		proboscidean, proboscidian massive herbivorous mammals having tusks and a long trunk
		pachyderm any of various nonruminant hoofed mammals having very thick skin: elephant; rhinoceros; hippopotamus
		elephantidae, family elephantidae elephants
		tusk a long pointed tooth specialized for fighting or digging; especially in an elephant or walrus or hog
		proboscis, trunk a long flexible snout as of an elephant
		rogue elephant a wild and vicious elephant separated from the herd
		elephas maximus, indian elephant Asian elephant having smaller ears and tusks primarily in the male
		african elephant, loxodonta africana an elephant native to Africa having enormous flapping ears and ivory tusks
		mammoth any of numerous extinct elephants widely distributed in the Pleistocene; extremely large with hairy coats and long upcurved tusks
elephant - the symbol of the Republican Party; introduced in cartoons by Thomas Nast in 1874

= synonym
= antonym
= related word

Wiktionary

elephant (Noun)
A mammal of the order Proboscidea, having a trunk, and two large ivory tusks jutting from the upper jaw.
elephant (Noun)
Anything huge and ponderous.
elephant (Noun)
A printing-paper size measuring 30 inches x 22 inches.
elephant (Noun)
Used when counting to add length.

Webster DictionaryWebster's Unabridged Dictionary 📘

elephant (n.)
A mammal of the order Proboscidia, of which two living species, Elephas Indicus and E. Africanus, and several fossil species, are known. They have a proboscis or trunk, and two large ivory tusks proceeding from the extremity of the upper jaw, and curving upwards. The molar teeth are large and have transverse folds. Elephants are the largest land animals now existing.
elephant (n.)
Ivory; the tusk of the elephant.

OmegaWiki DictionaryOmegaWiki Dictionary Ω

elephant
A mammal of the order Proboscidea, having a trunk, and two large ivory tusks jutting from the upper jaw. Elephants are the largest land animals now existing.

Chambers DictionaryChamber's 20th Century Dictionary 📕

elephant
el′e-fant, n. the largest quadruped, having a very thick skin, a trunk, and two ivory tusks: a special size of paper.—ns. Elephan′tiac, one affected with elephantiasis; Elephantī′asis, a disease chiefly of tropical climates, consisting of an overgrowth of the skin and connective tissue of the parts affected, with occasional attacks of inflammation resembling erysipelas.—adjs. Elephant′ine, pertaining to an elephant: like an elephant: very large or ungainly; Elephant′oid, elephant-like.—ns. El′ephant-seal, the largest of the seals, the male measuring about 20 feet in length; El′ephant's-foot, a plant of which the root-stock forms a large fleshy mass resembling an elephant's foot, used as food by the Hottentots; El′ephant-shrew, name applied to a number of long-nosed, long-legged Insectivora, natives of Africa, and notable for their agile jumping over loose sand.—A white elephant, a gift which occasions the recipient more trouble than it is worth—a white elephant being a common gift of the kings of Siam to a courtier they wished to ruin. [M. E. olifaunt—O. Fr. olifant—L. elephantum, elephas, -antis—Gr. elephas, acc. to some from Heb. eleph, aleph, an ox.]

Military DictionaryMilitary Dictionary and Gazetteer 💥

elephant
See PACK AND DRAUGHT ANIMALS.

Wikipedia

Elephants are the largest living land mammals. The largest elephant known was a male shot in Angola in 1974. It weighed 12 tonnes (13.5 tons). An elephant child is called a "calf". At birth, a calf can have a weight of 100 kg (225 pounds). The baby elephant develops for 20 to 22 months inside its mother. No other land animal takes this long to develop before being born.

An elephant's most obvious part is the "trunk". The trunk is a very long nose, made from the upper lip. An elephant uses its trunk to grab objects such as food. Elephants also have "tusks". Tusks are large teeth coming out of their upper jaws.

A lot of ivory comes from elephant tusks. Ivory traders killed too many elephants, so now hunting them is illegal. The number of elephants has tripled in the last 6 months.

People knew for a long time there were different kinds of elephants. The scientific word for a kind of animal is "species". These species are African and Asian elephants. African elephants are larger and have bigger ears. These big ears have many "veins", which carry blood throughout the body. Scientists think that the blood going through their ears helps African elephants to cool off. The weather is hotter in Africa than in Asia, so it is hard for elephants to stay cool. Female African elephants have tusks, but female Asian elephants do not. African elephants have a low place in their back. African elephants have two "fingers" at the end of their trunks, but Asian elephants only have one.

Elephants e