Definition of Elephent
Elephant, a genus of mammals, of which there are two species, the
Indian and the African; the latter attains a greater size, and is hunted
for the sake of its tusks, which may weigh as much as 70 lbs.; the former
is more intelligent, and easily capable of being domesticated; the white
elephant is a variety of this species.
- Wikipedia
El"e*phant (&ebreve;l"&esl;*fant),
n. [OE. elefaunt, olifant, OF.
olifant, F. éléphant, L.
elephantus, elephas, -antis, fr. Gr.
'ele`fas, -fantos; of unknown origin; perh. fr.
Skr. ibha, with the Semitic article al, el,
prefixed, or fr. Semitic Aleph hindi Indian bull; or cf. Goth.
ulbandus camel, AS. olfend.] 1.
(Zoöl.) A mammal of the order Proboscidia, of which
two living species, Elephas Indicus and E. Africanus,
and several fossil species, are known. They have a 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.
2. Ivory; the tusk of the elephant.
[Obs.] Dryden.
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.
Mantell. -- Elephant beetle
(Zoöl.), any very large beetle of the genus
Goliathus (esp. G. giganteus), of the family
Scarabæidæ. They inhabit West Africa. --
Elephant fish (Zoöl.), a
chimæroid fish (Callorhynchus antarcticus), with a
proboscis-like projection of the snout. -- Elephant
paper, paper of large size, 23 × 28 inches.
-- Double elephant paper, paper measuring
26¾ × 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.
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
- A mammal of the order Proboscidia, having a trunk, and two large ivory tusks jutting from the upper jaw. Elephants are the largest land animals now existing.
- (figurative) anything huge and ponderous
- The Nuttall Encyclopedia
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