elephant

[el·e·phant]

An elephant is an enormous, four footed animal with big ears and a long trunk. Unless you've been to certain parts of Asia or Africa, you've probably only seen elephants in zoos and wildlife parks.

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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.

Noun
five-toed pachyderm

Noun
the symbol of the Republican Party; introduced in cartoons by Thomas Nast in 1874


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.

n.
Ivory; the tusk of the elephant.


Elephant

El"e*phant , n. [OE. elefaunt, olifant, OF. olifant, F. '82l'82phant, L. elephantus, elephas, -antis, fr. Gr. , ; of unknown origin; perh. fr. Skr. ibha, with the Semitic article al, el, prefixed, or fr. Semitic Aleph hindi Indian bull; or cf. Goth. ulbandus camel, AS. olfend.] 1. (Zo'94l.) 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. 2. Ivory; the tusk of the elephant. [Obs.] Dryden. Elephant apple (Bot.), an East Indian fruit with a rough, hard rind, and edible pulp, borne by Feronia elephantum, a large tree related to the orange. -- Elephant bed (Geol.), at Brighton, England, abounding in fossil remains of elephants. Mantell. -- Elephant beetle (Zo'94l.), any very large beetle of the genus Goliathus (esp. G. giganteus), of the family Scarab'91id'91. They inhabit West Africa. -- Elephant fish (Zo'94l.), a chim'91roid fish (Callorhynchus antarcticus), with a proboscis-like projection of the snout. -- Elephant paper, paper of large size, 23 × 28 inches. -- Double elephant paper, paper measuring 26 × 40 inches. See Note under Paper. -- Elephant seal (Zo'94l.), an African jumping shrew (Macroscelides typicus), having a long nose like a proboscis. -- Elephant's ear (Bot.), a name given to certain species of the genus Begonia, which have immense one-sided leaves. -- Elephant's foot (Bot.) (a) A South African plant (Testudinaria Elephantipes), which has a massive rootstock covered with a kind of bark cracked with deep fissures; -- called also tortoise plant. The interior part is barely edible, whence the plant is also called Hottentot's bread. (b) A genus (Elephantopus) of coarse, composite weeds. -- Elephant's tusk (Zo'94l.), the tooth shell. See Dentalium.

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.

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Usage Examples

While I had often said that I wanted to die in bed, what I really meant was that in my old age I wanted to be stepped on by an elephant while making love.

When you have got an elephant by the hind legs and he is trying to run away, it's best to let him run.

God is really only another artist. He invented the giraffe, the elephant and the cat. He has no real style, He just goes on trying other things.

If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.

Misspelled Form

elephant, welephant, 3elephant, 4elephant, relephant, selephant, delephant, wlephant, 3lephant, 4lephant, rlephant, slephant, dlephant, ewlephant, e3lephant, e4lephant, erlephant, eslephant, edlephant, eklephant, eolephant, eplephant, e:lephant, ekephant, eoephant, epephant, e:ephant, elkephant, eloephant, elpephant, el:ephant, elwephant, el3ephant, el4ephant, elrephant, elsephant, eldephant, elwphant, el3phant, el4phant, elrphant, elsphant, eldphant, elewphant, ele3phant, ele4phant, elerphant, elesphant, eledphant, eleophant, ele0phant, elelphant, eleohant, ele0hant, elelhant, elepohant, elep0hant, eleplhant, elepghant, elepyhant, elepuhant, elepjhant, elepnhant, elepgant, elepyant, elepuant, elepjant, elepnant, elephgant, elephyant, elephuant, elephjant, elephnant, elephqant, elephwant, elephsant, elephzant, elephqnt, elephwnt, elephsnt, elephznt, elephaqnt, elephawnt, elephasnt, elephaznt, elephabnt, elephahnt, elephajnt, elephamnt, elepha nt, elephabt, elephaht, elephajt, elephamt, elepha t, elephanbt, elephanht, elephanjt, elephanmt, elephan t, elephanrt, elephan5t, elephan6t, elephanyt, elephangt, elephanr, elephan5, elephan6, elephany, elephang, elephantr, elephant5, elephant6, elephanty, elephantg.

Other Usage Examples

Learning to play with a big amplifier is like trying to control an elephant.

One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got into my pajamas I'll never know.

Nature's great masterpiece, an elephant the only harmless great thing.

Patriarchy is like the elephant in the room that we don't talk about, but how could it not affect the planet radically when it's the superstructure of human society.

The U.N. bureaucracy has grown to elephantine proportions. Now that the Cold War is over, we are asking that elephant to do gymnastics.

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