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

Rangers at Murchison Falls National Park on Tuesday began to translocate 12 endangered Nubian giraffes, Earth's tallest land mammal, 106 kilometers (65 miles) to Ajai Wildlife Reserve. — ABC News, 24 July 2026

Additionally, the dark patches along their bodies usually fit together like puzzle pieces, and can look similar to the patterns on giraffes. — Sarah Perkel, USA Today, 24 July 2026

An experiment demonstrated LLMs altering giraffe spot estimates when a donation was tied to a higher number, despite the logical irrelevance. — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

Rounding out the top three was Kenya’s Maasai Mara, where sunrise transforms the sprawling savannah into a sea of golden light as majestic wildlife—think lions, elephants, giraffes—roam the plains. — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 22 July 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
• distaff
• falstaff
• autograph
• biograph
• cenotaph
• chronograph
• epigraph
• epitaph
• hodograph
• holograph

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