elephant

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   used when counting to add length, so that each count takes about one second

   Let's play hide and seek. I'll count. One elephant, two elephant, three elephant...

2. 2
   noun

   Ivory.

   He sent rich gifts of elephant and gold.

3. 3
   noun

   five-toed pachyderm

4. 4
   noun

   the symbol of the Republican Party

5. 5
   noun

   A large mammal of the family Elephantidae in the order Proboscidea, having a trunk, and native to Africa and Asia.

6. 6
   noun

   Any member of the subfamily Elephantinae not also of the genera Mammuthus and Primelephas.

7. 7
   noun

   Anything huge and ponderous.

8. 8
   noun

   Synonym of elephant paper.

Etymology

From Middle English elefant, elefaunt, from Old French elefant, elefan, olifant, re-latinized in Middle French as elephant, from Latin elephantus, from Ancient Greek ἐλέφᾱς (eléphās) (gen. ἐλέφαντος (eléphantos)). Believed to be derived from an Afroasiatic form such as Proto-Berber *eḷu (“elephant”) (compare Tamahaq êlu, Tamasheq alu) or Egyptian ꜣbw (“elephant; ivory”). More at ivory. Replaced Middle English olifant (from the aforementioned Old French form, from Vulgar Latin *olifantus), which replaced Old English elpend (“elephant”).