Illustration of woolly mammoth
woolly mammoth
noun
: a heavy-coated mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) formerly inhabiting the colder parts of the northern hemisphere
Examples of woolly mammoth in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The average life span of an Arctic woolly mammoth has been estimated at 60.
—
Richard Grant, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Oct. 2023
Efforts now underway to bring back species like the woolly mammoth and the dodo are stirring a blend of wonder, investment, curiosity, and criticism.
—Alessandro Clemente, The Christian Science Monitor, 29 Mar. 2023
Adult male woolly mammoths reached a height of 12 feet at the shoulder, with a thick hide, shaggy coat and tusks up to 12 feet long.
—Richard Grant, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Oct. 2023
At a time when the mighty woolly mammoth roamed the Earth, some 46,000 years ago, a minuscule pair of roundworms became encased in the Siberian permafrost.
—Orlando Mayorquin, New York Times, 29 July 2023
This past spring a science museum in Amsterdam unveiled an unusual exhibit: a giant meatball created with DNA from the woolly mammoth.
—Regina Marler, The New York Review of Books, 31 Aug. 2023
To put that fact in perspective, woolly mammoths were alive when the Great Pyramid of Giza was built in Egypt.
—David Reamer | Alaska History, Anchorage Daily News, 7 May 2023
Colossal planned to reintroduce the woolly mammoth into Russia, but that may shift.
—Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, 30 Jan. 2023
While the Asian elephant is the closest living relative of the woolly mammoth, the current plan of the company Colossal involves using an artificial uterus to give birth to a calf rather than using a surrogate elephant mother.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 26 Oct. 2022
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Richard Grant, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Oct. 2023
Efforts now underway to bring back species like the woolly mammoth and the dodo are stirring a blend of wonder, investment, curiosity, and criticism.
—Alessandro Clemente, The Christian Science Monitor, 29 Mar. 2023
Adult male woolly mammoths reached a height of 12 feet at the shoulder, with a thick hide, shaggy coat and tusks up to 12 feet long.
—Richard Grant, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Oct. 2023
At a time when the mighty woolly mammoth roamed the Earth, some 46,000 years ago, a minuscule pair of roundworms became encased in the Siberian permafrost.
—Orlando Mayorquin, New York Times, 29 July 2023
This past spring a science museum in Amsterdam unveiled an unusual exhibit: a giant meatball created with DNA from the woolly mammoth.
—Regina Marler, The New York Review of Books, 31 Aug. 2023
To put that fact in perspective, woolly mammoths were alive when the Great Pyramid of Giza was built in Egypt.
—David Reamer | Alaska History, Anchorage Daily News, 7 May 2023
Colossal planned to reintroduce the woolly mammoth into Russia, but that may shift.
—Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, 30 Jan. 2023
While the Asian elephant is the closest living relative of the woolly mammoth, the current plan of the company Colossal involves using an artificial uterus to give birth to a calf rather than using a surrogate elephant mother.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 26 Oct. 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'woolly mammoth.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1874, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near woolly mammoth
Cite this Entry
“Woolly mammoth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/woolly%20mammoth. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.
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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
More from Merriam-Webster on woolly mammoth
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about woolly mammoth
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