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

The 11,700-square-foot house is part of Thanda Safari, a roughly 40,000-acre private game reserve where elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos, and buffalo roam and giraffes and zebras can sometimes be spotted right from the home. — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 29 Sep. 2026

Spread across 400 acres in the hills of Santa Rosa, Safari West is home to more than 900 animals, including giraffes, zebras, rhinos, flamingos, cape buffalo and impalas. — Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 21 Sep. 2026

Was Ted and Tracy’s meet-cute as legend-wait for it-dary as his past romantic history with slutty pumpkins and tramp stamp removals and purple giraffes? — Sara Netzley, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Sep. 2026

Blooming Browns This gorgeous mix-and-match design blends 3D florals, airbrushed accents, and giraffe print for a multi-dimensional look. — Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 18 Sep. 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