giraffe
jih-RAHF
Giraffe (noun) means a tall African mammal with an extremely long neck and legs and a patchy, spotted coat, the tallest living land animal. Example: “The giraffe stretched its neck to reach the highest leaves.”
noun
1
A tall African mammal with an extremely long neck and legs and a patchy, spotted coat, the tallest living land animal.
"The giraffe stretched its neck to reach the highest leaves."
"At the zoo, kids lined up to feed the giraffes."
2
Informal: a person who is unusually tall.
"His teammates jokingly called him "the giraffe" because he towered over everyone."
How to use giraffe
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe long-necked African animal; informally, a nickname for a very tall person.
Common pairings
giraffe's neck
baby giraffe
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Word forms
- Plural
- giraffes
Fill the gap
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The _____ stretched its neck to reach the highest leaves.
Etymology
Traces through French and Italian back to Arabic zarafa, ultimately from a Persian phrase meaning roughly "fast-walker" or "flute-leg" — it displaced the older English word "camelopard".
Synonyms
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camelopard
Rhymes for giraffe
See all rhymes for giraffe →Frequently asked questions
What does “giraffe” mean?
The word “giraffe” means a tall African mammal with an extremely long neck and legs and a patchy, spotted coat, the tallest living land animal. In plain terms, the long-necked African animal; informally, a nickname for a very tall person.
How do you pronounce “giraffe”?
“Giraffe” is pronounced jih-RAHF (/d͡ʒəˈɹæf/ in IPA).
How do you use “giraffe” in a sentence?
Here is “giraffe” used in a sentence: “The giraffe stretched its neck to reach the highest leaves.”
What part of speech is “giraffe”?
“Giraffe” is a noun.
Where does the word “giraffe” come from?
The word “giraffe” comes from French. Traces through French and Italian back to Arabic zarafa, ultimately from a Persian phrase meaning roughly "fast-walker" or "flute-leg" — it displaced the older English word "camelopard".
Is “giraffe” a common word?
“Giraffe” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “giraffe” have?
“Giraffe” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a tall African mammal with an extremely long neck and legs and a patchy, spotted coat, the tallest living land animal.
