elephant
n. countablen. a very large, grey animal with a long nose called a trunk and big ears. They live in Africa and Asia and are the biggest animals on land.
n. a massive herbivorous mammal of the family Elephantidae, characterised by a long prehensile trunk, large ears, and tusks. The term encompasses two distinct genera native to Africa and Asia.
The elephant uses its trunk to pick up grass and drink water.
During the safari, we watched a mother elephant leading her young calf toward the river at sunset.
Conservation efforts in the region focus on mitigating human-wildlife conflict as expanding agricultural zones increasingly overlap with traditional elephant migratory corridors.
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”).
The plural form is typically 'elephants', though 'elephant' is occasionally used as a collective plural in hunting or historical contexts.
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baby elephant in the room
An obvious but mostly inconsequential issue.
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eat an elephant one bite at a time
To do something one step at a time; to do something in steps rather than all at once.
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elephant in the room
A problem or difficult issue that is very obvious, but is ignored for the convenience or comfort of those involved.