giraffe

noun

gi·​raffe jə-ˈraf 

plural giraffes

1

or plural giraffe : a large fleet African ruminant mammal (Giraffa camelopardalis) that is the tallest of living quadrupeds and has a very long neck and a short coat with dark blotches separated by pale lines

2

capitalized : camelopardalis

giraffish

jə-ˈra-fish 

adjective

Illustration of giraffe

• giraffe 1

Examples of giraffe in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Zoo plans to open new giraffe, wolf habitats Over the next five years, the zoo will add a new immersive giraffe habitat, add a new Mexican wolf habitat and bring rhinos back to the zoo, the release reads. —Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 4 Sep. 2025

There's me with Geoffrey the giraffe from Toys 'R' Us. —Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Sep. 2025

The Nashville Zoo is mourning the loss of Nasha, an 11-year-old Masai giraffe, the matriarch of its herd. —Laura L. Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Sep. 2025

The surrounding badlands provide the perfect habitat for a wealth of cactus species, while mammals span from mule deer to the pronghorn, an antelope-like animal that’s distantly related to modern-day giraffes. —Jared Ranahan, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Italian giraffa, from Arabic zirāfa

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing giraffe

• reticulated giraffe

Rhymes for giraffe

• behalf
• carafe
• digraph
• distaff
• falstaff
• subgraph
• autograph
• biograph
• cenotaph
• chronograph
• epigraph
• epitaph

Kids Definition

giraffe

noun

gi·​raffe ˈjə-ˈraf 

plural giraffes or giraffe

: a large swift cud-chewing spotted African mammal with a very long neck that is the tallest of living four-footed animals