noun. Any of several very large herbivorous mammals of the family Elephantidae native to Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, 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.

noun. Any of various extinct animals of the family Elephantidae.

idiom. (elephant in the room) A matter or problem that is obvious or of great importance but that is not discussed openly.

noun. A five-toed proboscidian mammal, of the genus Elephas, constituting a subfamily, Elephantinæ, and comprehending two living species, namely, Elephas indicus and Elephas (Loxodon) africanus.

noun. The former inhabits India, and is characterized by a concave high forehead, small ears, and comparatively small tusks; the latter is found in Africa, and has a convex forehead, great flapping ears, and large tusks. The tusks occur in both sexes, curving upward from the extremity of the upper jaw. The nose is prolonged into a cylindrical trunk or proboscis, at the extremity of which the nostrils open. The trunk is extremely flexible and highly sensitive, and terminates in a finger-like prehensile lobe. Elephants are the largest quadrupeds at present existing. Their tusks are of great value as ivory, furnishing an important article of commerce, in Africa especially, and occasioning the destruction of great numbers of these animals. Ten species of fossil elephants have been described, of which the best-known is the hairy mammoth, E. primigenius. The mastodons are nearly related to elephants, but form a separate subfamily Mastodontinæ (which see).

noun. Figuratively, a burdensome or perplexing possession or charge; something that one does not know what to do with or how to get rid of: as, to have an elephant on one's hands; he found his great house very much of an elephant.

noun. Ivory; the tusk of the elephant.

noun. A drawing-or writing-paper measuring in America 22x27 inches.

noun. 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.

noun. Ivory; the tusk of the elephant.

noun. an East Indian fruit with a rough, hard rind, and edible pulp, borne by Feronia elephantum, a large tree related to the orange.

noun. at Brighton, England, abounding in fossil remains of elephants.

noun. any very large beetle of the genus Goliathus (esp. G. giganteus), of the family Scarabæidæ. They inhabit West Africa.

noun. a chimæroid fish (Callorhynchus antarcticus), with a proboscis-like projection of the snout.

noun. paper of large size, 23 × 28 inches.

noun. paper measuring 263/4 × 40 inches. See Note under Paper.

noun. an African jumping shrew (Macroscelides typicus), having a long nose like a proboscis.

noun. a name given to certain species of the genus Begonia, which have immense one-sided leaves.

noun. A genus (Elephantopus) of coarse, composite weeds.

noun. the tooth shell. See Dentalium.

noun. A mammal of the order Proboscidea, having a trunk, and two large ivory tusks jutting from the upper jaw.

noun. Anything huge and ponderous.

noun. A printing-paper size measuring 30 inches x 22 inches.

noun. used when counting to add length.

noun. five-toed pachyderm

noun. the symbol of the Republican Party; introduced in cartoons by Thomas Nast in 1874

"While you may think the elephant is yours and yours alone, even the most solitary of projects are easier to digest with the right team and network in place."

a white elephant  double elephant  elephant hawk-moth  order of the white elephant  rogue elephant  

allegory  emblem  

bear  beast  boar  bull  cat  

Angora goat  Arctic fox  Belgian hare  Caffre cat  Elephas