noun
pl. -·phants or -·phant 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 existing species are the endangered Asian (or Indian) elephant (Elephas maximus), which is commonly domesticated, and two species of African elephant (Loxodonta africana and Loxodonta cyclotis), which have a flatter head and larger ears
Origin of elephant
Middle English elefaunt from Classical Latin elephantus from Classical Greek elephas (gen. elephantos), elephant, ivory from uncertain or unknown; perhaps Berber elu, elephant + Egyptian ?bw, elephant, ivoryelephant Idioms
elephant in the room
an obvious, crucial factor or fact that is being ignored deliberately, as because it is unpleasant or disconcerting
