either of the two proboscidean mammals of the family Elephantidae. The African elephant (Loxodonta africana) is the larger species, with large flapping ears and a less humped back than the Indian elephant (Elephas maximus), of S and SE Asia - elephant in the room ⇒
an obvious truth deliberately ignored by all parties in a situation
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
el•e•phant /ˈɛləfənt/USA pronunciation
n. [countable], pl. -phants, (esp. when thought of as a group) -phant.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- Zoology, Mammalsa very large five-toed mammal having a long trunk and large tusks esp. in the males, living in Africa and India.
el•e•phant
(el′ə fənt),USA pronunciation n., pl. -phants, (esp. collectively) -phant for 1.
el′e•phan•toid′, adj.
- Zoology, Mammalseither of two large, five-toed pachyderms of the family Elephantidae, characterized by a long, prehensile trunk formed of the nose and upper lip, including Loxodonta africana (African elephant,) with enormous flapping ears, two fingerlike projections at the end of the trunk, and ivory tusks, and Elephas maximus (Indian elephant,) with smaller ears, one projection at the end of the trunk, and ivory tusks almost exclusively in males:L. africanais threatened;
E. maximus is endangered. - Governmenta representation of this animal, used in the U.S. since 1874 as the emblem of the Republican party.
- See white elephant.
- [Chiefly Brit.]a size of drawing or writing paper, 23 × 28 in. (58 × 71 cm). Cf. double elephant.
- Vulgar Latin *olifantus, for Latin elephantus (with regular Latin o from e before dark l)
- Anglo-French
- Greek elephant- (stem of eléphās) elephant; replacing Middle English olifaunt
- Latin elephantus
- Anglo-French)
- Middle English (1250–1300
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::