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elephant

The definition of an elephant is a member of the order Proboscidea which is gigantic, has a long trunk and thick skin, fan-shaped ears and is almost hairless.

(noun)

An example of an elephant is the big animal at the zoo with a trunk.
An example of an elephant is the symbol of the Republican Party.

See elephant in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun pl. elephants or elephant

any of an order (Proboscidea) of huge, thick-skinned, almost hairless mammals, the largest of extant four-footed animals, with a long, flexible snout (called a trunk) and, usually, two ivory tusks growing out of the upper jaw: the two existing species are the (Elephas maximus), which is commonly domesticated and is an endangered species, and the (Loxodonta africana), which has a flatter head and larger ears

Origin: ME elefaunt < L elephantus < Gr elephas (gen. elephantos), elephant, ivory < ? Berber elu, elephant + Egypt Ȝbw, elephant, ivory

See elephant in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

Either of two very large herbivorous mammals, Elephas maximus of south-central Asia or Loxodonta africana of Africa, having thick, almost hairless skin, a long, flexible, prehensile trunk, upper incisors forming long curved tusks of ivory, and, in the African species, large fan-shaped ears.
Any of various extinct or living animals related to either of these two animals.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English elefaunt

Origin: , from Old French olifant

Origin: , from Vulgar Latin *olifantus

Origin: , from Latin elephantus

Origin: , from Greek elephās, elephant-

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