elephant

el·e·phant

noun, often attributive \ˈe-lə-fənt\

plural elephants also elephant

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

Examples of ELEPHANT

1. <by any standard, the new shopping mall will be an elephant and one that is certain to alter the retail landscape>

Illustration of ELEPHANT

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

Synonyms: behemoth, blockbuster, colossus, dinosaur, dreadnought, giant, Goliath, jumbo, leviathan, mammoth, mastodon, monster, titan, whale, whopper

Antonyms: diminutive, dwarf, half-pint, midget, mite, peewee, pygmy (also pigmy), runt, shrimp

Related Words: amazon, giantess; bulk, hulk; heavyweight; juggernaut, steamroller

Near Antonyms: lightweight, weakling, wimp, wisp; nonentity, twerp, whippersnapper

[+]more[-]hide

Other Mammals Terms

dormouse, dugong, gibbon, grimalkin, sable, stoat, ungulate, vole