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

capitalized : camelopardalis

giraffish

jə-ˈra-fish 

adjective

Illustration of giraffe

• giraffe 1

Examples of giraffe in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Ziggy lives in the Giraffe Building with female giraffes Marlee and Maya and male giraffe Kendi, who came to Milwaukee in late 2023. —Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 8 July 2025

Guests can experience up-close encounters with PJ the rhino, feed giraffes, meet petting zoo animals or ride a miniature train. —Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 July 2025

There’s a rainforest trail and seal cove, sharks and stingrays, Siberian and Bengal tigers, grey wolves, lions, giraffes and more on display for guests at the park. —Jason Mastrodonato, Mercury News, 25 May 2025

New giraffe mothers also split from their herds in the wild. —Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2025

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