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

Kids may recognize his voice as Manny the woolly mammoth in the Ice Age franchise, while adults have seen Romano transition from sitcom hijinks to more dramatic fare. —Danny Horn, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Nov. 2025

Having unveiled its woolly mice, an American startup promised to reintroduce woolly mammoths by the end of 2028. —Victor J. Blue, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025

For the first time, the oldest RNA molecules have been extracted from the 40,000-year-old remains of an Ice Age woolly mammoth. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 14 Nov. 2025

The Earth’s climate is now much warmer and wetter than the climate of the Pleistocene epoch, which would probably make the thick fur and fat layers of the woolly mammoth disadvantageous adaptations. —JSTOR Daily, 13 Nov. 2025

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