giraffe

noun gi·raffe \ jə-ˈraf \

|Updated on: 16 Jun 2018

Definition of giraffe

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

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giraffish

play \jə-ˈra-fish\ adjective

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Recent Examples of giraffe from the Web

In 2013, 7-year-old female giraffe named Mona collapsed and died in an outdoor holding area at Zoo Atlanta.

— mike scott, NOLA.com, "Giraffe dies in freak accident at Atlanta zoo," 16 May 2018
Why was my first official date with my own fiancé not in Botswana petting giraffes?!?!

— alex warner, Marie Claire, "27 Thoughts I Had While Watching Lifetime's 'Harry and Meghan: A Royal Romance'," 14 May 2018
Plus, there will be wrestling demonstrations, a children’s dance, spoken word, and even a giant, mechanical giraffe.

— lisa deaderick, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Art and music are all around at Art Around Adams," 31 May 2018
Habitat loss and poaching have made giraffes vulnerable to extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

— samantha drake, chicagotribune.com, "Albino animals are at such risk that people built an island to protect one orangutan," 11 May 2018
Award-winning filmmaker Carlos Carvalho died Wednesday after succumbing to injuries stemming from an on-set accident with a giraffe.

— maria pasquini, PEOPLE.com, "Filmmaker Carlos Carvalho Dies After Being Hit in the Head by Giraffe in On-Set Accident," 6 May 2018
Carlos was filming a feature at Glen Afric and had a fatal run-in with a giraffe on set.

— kathleen joyce, Fox News, "Award-winning filmmaker Carlos Carvalho dies after giraffe head-butts him," 5 May 2018
Please meet our newborn male giraffe calf named Witten!

— charlotte carroll, SI.com, "Dallas Zoo Names Baby Giraffe After Jason Witten," 4 May 2018
Remotely operated orange-and-white cranes lean over them like reverent metal giraffes.

— vince beiser, WIRED, "The Robot Assault On Fukushima," 26 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'giraffe.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.