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woolly mammoth
noun
: a heavy-coated mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) formerly inhabiting the colder parts of the northern hemisphere
Examples of woolly mammoth in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Colossal has made headlines pursuing the de-extinction of the woolly mammoth, the Tasmanian tiger, and the dodo.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2024
The school’s uncertain athletic future is the woolly mammoth in the room, a massive complicating factor that assuredly will scare off many otherwise qualified candidates.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2024
Leave a comment View Comments The research team at Colossal has already analyzed the genomes of 53 woolly mammoths from ancient DNA recovered from fossils.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 9 Mar. 2024
Back to the future An ambitious plan to genetically engineer a woolly mammoth — a giant that hasn’t roamed Earth in 4,000 years — has taken another step toward reality.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 10 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for woolly mammoth
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'woolly mammoth.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1874, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near woolly mammoth
Cite this Entry
“Woolly mammoth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/woolly%20mammoth. Accessed 17 Jun. 2024.
Kids Definition
woolly mammoth
noun
: an extinct mammal that was a heavy-coated mammoth of cold northern regions and is known from fossils, from the drawings of prehistoric human beings, and from entire dead frozen bodies dug up in Siberia
More from Merriam-Webster on woolly mammoth
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about woolly mammoth
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