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Elephant   /ˈɛləfənt/   Listen
noun
Elephant  n.  
1.
(Zoöl.) A mammal of the order Proboscidia and family Elephantidae, of which two living species, Elephas maximus (formerly Elephas Indicus) and Loxodonta Africana (formerly E. Africanus), and several fossil species, are known. They have five toes, a long proboscis or trunk, and two large ivory tusks proceeding from the extremity of the upper jaw, and curving upwards. The molar teeth are large and have transverse folds. Elephants are the largest land animals now existing. The elephant is classed as a pachyderm.
2.
Ivory; the tusk of the elephant. (Obs.)
Elephant apple (Bot.), an East Indian fruit with a rough, hard rind, and edible pulp, borne by Feronia elephantum, a large tree related to the orange.
Elephant bed (Geol.), at Brighton, England, abounding in fossil remains of elephants.
Elephant beetle (Zoöl.), any very large beetle of the genus Goliathus (esp. G. giganteus), of the family Scarabaeidae. They inhabit West Africa.
Elephant fish (Zoöl.), a chimaeroid fish (Callorhynchus antarcticus), with a proboscis-like projection of the snout.
Elephant paper, paper of large size, 23 times 28 inches.
Double elephant paper, paper measuring 26¾ times 40 inches. See Note under Paper.
Elephant seal (Zoöl.), an African jumping shrew (Macroscelides typicus), having a long nose like a proboscis.
Elephant's ear (Bot.), a name given to certain species of the genus Begonia, which have immense one-sided leaves.
Elephant's foot (Bot.)
(a)
A South African plant (Testudinaria Elephantipes), which has a massive rootstock covered with a kind of bark cracked with deep fissures; called also tortoise plant. The interior part is barely edible, whence the plant is also called Hottentot's bread.
(b)
A genus (Elephantopus) of coarse, composite weeds.
Elephant's tusk (Zoöl.), the tooth shell. See Dentalium.






Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48








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"Elephant" Quotes from Famous Books



... many-columned courtyards of the palace was a chained, mad elephant whose duty was to kneel on the Rajah's captive enemies. In another courtyard was a big, square tank with a weedy, slippery stone ramp at one end; in the tank were alligators; down the ramp other of the Rajah's enemies, tight-bound, ...
— Rung Ho! • Talbot Mundy

... quietness would be of no use, so I sprang up upon my legs, and being bred upon the roads, and able to fight a little, I squared as he came running in upon me, and had a round or two with him. Lord bless you, young man, it was like a fly fighting with an elephant—one of those big beasts the show-folks carry about. I had not a chance with the fellow, he knocked me here, he knocked me there, knocked me into the hedge, and knocked me out again. I was at my last shifts, and my poor wife saw it. Now my poor wife, though ...
— Lavengro - The Scholar, The Gypsy, The Priest • George Borrow

... of any of its great and famous rivals, the street parade of this circus was a meagre and disappointing thing. Why, there was only one elephant, a dwarfish and debilitated-looking creature, worn mangy and slick on its various angles, like the cover of an old-fashioned haircloth trunk; and obviously most of the closed cages were weather-beaten stake wagons in disguise. Nevertheless, there was a sizable turnout ...
— From Place to Place • Irvin S. Cobb

... understanding that were so characteristic in her. "Lord A'mighty!" he ejaculated under his breath, "Lord A'mighty! to hector and abuse a child like that one! 'T ain't ABUSE exactly, I know, or 't wouldn't be to some o' your elephant-hided young ones; but to that little tender will-o'-the-wisp a hard word 's like a lash. Mirandy Sawyer would be a heap better woman if she had a little gravestun to remember, same's ...
— Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm • Kate Douglas Wiggin

... draws at hand. Oor watter is no fit for ki drinking; an' there's fient a thing but watter in the weet dock. My heart bleeds when I go roond the shore an' see all the ships sailin' oot o' the herbir, an' no' a livin' sowl comin' in. Gentlemen, that herbir's growin' a gijantic white elephant." ...
— My Man Sandy • J. B. Salmond


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