woolly mammoth

noun

: a heavy-coated mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) formerly inhabiting the colder parts of the northern hemisphere

Illustration of woolly mammoth

Examples of woolly mammoth in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Indeed, woolly mammoth de-extinction efforts have already spun off discoveries that may help protect captive Asian elephants from a deadly herpes virus. — Taylor Dotson, Scientific American, 10 July 2026

The company became famous for efforts to revive extinct species such as the woolly mammoth and dire wolf. — Dasha Shunina, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026

The former increases excitability and preparedness for movement in response to the tennis equivalent of being assailed by a woolly mammoth. — Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 3 June 2026

But the last woolly mammoths died out only about 4,000 years ago, after most of Stonehenge was built. — Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 19 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1874, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

woolly mammoth

noun

: an extinct mammal that was a heavy-coated mammoth of cold northern regions and is known from fossils, from the drawings of prehistoric human beings, and from entire dead frozen bodies dug up in Siberia