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noun A2 Elementary Common

elephant

EH-lih-fuhnt
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Elephant (noun) means a very large mammal with a long trunk, big ears, and tusks, native to Africa and Asia. Example: “The baby elephant stayed close to its mother as the herd crossed the river.”

noun
1
A very large mammal with a long trunk, big ears, and tusks, native to Africa and Asia.
"The baby elephant stayed close to its mother as the herd crossed the river."
"The elephant used its trunk to spray water over its back."
"African elephants have much bigger ears than Asian elephants."
2
Something enormous or unwieldy, used figuratively.
"She dreaded the elephant of a spreadsheet waiting for her on Monday morning."
"Moving the whole office in one weekend was an elephant of a project nobody envied."
"Nobody wanted to mention the elephant in the room: the company was about to go bankrupt."

How to use elephant

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe largest living land animal, known for its trunk and tusks — or, figuratively, an obvious problem everyone is avoiding.

Memory tip

"The elephant in the room" means an obvious issue that everyone notices but avoids talking about.

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Common pairings
elephant in the room herd of elephants elephant tusk
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Word forms

Plural
elephants
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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The baby _____ stayed close to its mother as the herd crossed the river.

Etymology

From Old French elefant, ultimately from Ancient Greek elephas ("elephant, ivory"), possibly borrowed from an ancient North African language.

Origin: Ancient Greek

Synonyms

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pachyderm tusker jumbo oliphaunt

Related words

large giant jumbo pachyderm tusker elephantine gargantuan tusk

Frequently asked questions

What does “elephant” mean?
The word “elephant” means a very large mammal with a long trunk, big ears, and tusks, native to Africa and Asia. In plain terms, the largest living land animal, known for its trunk and tusks — or, figuratively, an obvious problem everyone is avoiding.
How do you pronounce “elephant”?
“Elephant” is pronounced EH-lih-fuhnt (/ˈɛləfənt/ in IPA).
How do you use “elephant” in a sentence?
Here is “elephant” used in a sentence: “The elephant used its trunk to spray water over its back.”
What is another word for “elephant”?
Words with a similar meaning to “elephant” include oliphaunt.
What part of speech is “elephant”?
“Elephant” is a noun.
Where does the word “elephant” come from?
The word “elephant” comes from Ancient Greek. From Old French elefant, ultimately from Ancient Greek elephas ("elephant, ivory"), possibly borrowed from an ancient North African language.
Is “elephant” a common word?
“Elephant” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
How many meanings does “elephant” have?
“Elephant” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a very large mammal with a long trunk, big ears, and tusks, native to Africa and Asia.
What is the difference between African and Asian elephants?
African elephants are generally larger and have much bigger ears, while Asian elephants are smaller with smaller, rounded ears. Tusks also differ: both male and female African elephants typically grow tusks, whereas among Asian elephants usually only some males have long tusks.
What is a group of elephants called?
A group of elephants is called a herd. A baby elephant is a calf, an adult female is a cow, and an adult male is a bull.

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