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

Giraffe : camelopardalis

giraffish

jə-ˈra-fish 

adjective

Illustration of giraffe

• giraffe 1

Examples of giraffe in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Within the lone star pattern of the quilt, gifted to her posthumously, were also Safari giraffes and zebras and elephants. —Angela George, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 26 Mar. 2026

Your littlest charges will marvel at the size of the camels, tortoises and giraffes lumbering about the zoo’s meandering paths, and then eagerly pet goats and sheep in the farmyard. —Susan McDonald, The Providence Journal, 26 Mar. 2026

Masai giraffes are listed as Endangered by the IUCN, a classification that conservation advocates know signals serious population decline and ongoing threats in the wild. —Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 24 Mar. 2026

This calf marks the 23rd surviving giraffe calf born at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, reflecting the facility’s long-running commitment to the species. —Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 24 Mar. 2026

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