elephant ear
Definition of elephant ear
US
: a thick, irregular disk of fried dough usually served with a topping (such as powdered sugar) An Elephant Ear is an album-sized expanse of oil-fried dough slathered with butter and cinnamon-sugar, sort of cinnamon toast from hell, really and truly shaped like an ear, surprisingly yummy, it turns out, but sickly soft, the texture of adipose flesh, and undeniably elephant-sized … — David Foster Wallace, A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again, 1997
Indulge Your Inner Word Nerd
There's more!
Love words? You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.
Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:
- More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
- Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
- Advanced search features
- Ad free!
1948
First Known Use of elephant ear
1948
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up elephant ear? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!