giraffe
n. countablen. a very tall African animal with a long neck and legs. It has brown spots on its yellow skin and eats leaves from high trees.
n. a large African ruminant mammal with a very long neck and forelegs, having a coat patterned with brown patches separated by lighter lines.
The giraffe reaches the highest leaves on the tree.
During the safari, we watched a giraffe gracefully lower its long neck to drink from the waterhole.
The giraffe's unique physiology, including its powerful heart and specialized valves, allows it to maintain blood pressure while raising and lowering its head over several meters.
Borrowed from Middle French giraffe, from Italian giraffa. Displaced camelopard.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
The plural form is typically 'giraffes', though 'giraffe' is sometimes used in a collective hunting context.
Last updated May 6, 2026