English Explanatory Dictionary

elephant

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A large mammal of the family Elephantidae in the order Proboscidea, having a trunk, and native to Africa and Asia.
  2. Any member of the subfamily Elephantinae not also of the genera Mammuthus and Primelephas.
  3. Anything huge and ponderous.
  4. Synonym of elephant paper.
  5. used when counting to add length, so that each count takes about one second
  6. Ivory.
  7. A xiangqi piece that is moved two points diagonally, may not jump over intervening pieces and may not cross the river.
name
  1. The 105th sura (chapter) of the Quran.

Pronunciation

/ˈɛl.ɪ.fənt/ /ˈɛl.ə.fənt/ En-us-elephant.ogg /ˈel.ə.fənt/ /el.e.fant/ /ɛlɪˈfaɳʈ/ /ˈɛlɪfəɳʈ/

Word forms

elephant elephants

Etymology

From Middle English elefant, elefaunt, from Old French elefant, elefan, olifant, re-latinized in Middle French as elephant, from Latin elephantus, from Ancient Greek ἐλέφᾱς (eléphās) (gen. ἐλέφαντος (eléphantos)). Believed to be derived from an Afroasiatic form such as Proto-Berber *eḷu (“elephant”) (compare Tamahaq êlu, Tamasheq alu) or Egyptian ꜣbw (“elephant; ivory”). More at ivory. Replaced Middle English olifant (from the aforementioned Old French form, from Vulgar Latin *olifantus), which replaced Old English elpend (“elephant”).

Synonyms

elephant oliphaunt elephantid elephant paper

Related words

chryselephantine elephancy elephanta elephanter elephantiac elephantiasis elephantic Elephantidae elephantine elephantoid Elephantopus Elephas howdah keddah mahout trumpet deinothere stegodont

Derived words

African bush elephant African elephant African forest elephant African savannah elephant Asian elephant Asiatic elephant baby elephant in the room Borneo elephant bull elephant cow elephant double elephant dwarf elephant eat an elephant one bite at a time Elephant and Castle elephant apple elephantback elephant bed elephant beetle elephant bird elephantbird elephant bug elephant bush elephant calf elephant chess elephant-color elephant-colour elephant cord elephant creeper elephantdom elephant dose elephant ear elephant ears elephant-ear tree elephantesque elephantess elephantfish elephant fish elephant flipping elephant folio elephant foot Elephant Gambit elephant garlic elephant grass elephant-gravel elephant-gray elephant-grey elephant gun Elephant Hall elephant hawk moth elephanthood elephanticide elephantid elephant in Cairo elephant in the corner elephant in the kitchen elephant in the living room elephant in the room Elephant Island elephantitis elephant joke
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