Elephant seal

Elephant seal
Elephant El"e*phant ([e^]l"[-e]*fant), n. [OE. elefaunt, olifant, OF. olifant, F. ['e]l['e]phant, L. elephantus, elephas, -antis, fr. Gr. 'ele`fas, 'ele`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. (Zo["o]l.) A mammal of the order {Proboscidia} and family {Elephantidae}, of which two living species, {Elephas maximus} (formerly {Elephas Indicus}) and {Loxodonta Africana} (formerly {E. Africanus}), and several fossil species, are known. They have five toes, a long 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. The elephant is classed as a pachyderm. [1913 Webster]

2. Ivory; the tusk of the elephant. [Obs.] --Dryden. [1913 Webster]

{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} (Zo["o]l.), any very large beetle of the genus {Goliathus} (esp. {G. giganteus}), of the family {Scarab[ae]id[ae]}. They inhabit West Africa.

{Elephant fish} (Zo["o]l.), a chim[ae]roid fish ({Callorhynchus antarcticus}), with a proboscis-like projection of the snout.

{Elephant paper}, paper of large size, 23 [times] 28 inches.

{Double elephant paper}, paper measuring 263/4 [times] 40 inches. See Note under {Paper}.

{Elephant seal} (Zo["o]l.), 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} (Zo["o]l.), the tooth shell. See {Dentalium}. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • elephant seal — either of two seals of the genus Mirounga, of the Pacific coast of North America and the Antarctic Ocean, having a curved proboscis resembling an elephant s trunk. Also called sea elephant. [1835 45] * * * Either of the two largest pinniped… …   Universalium

  • elephant seal — noun either of two large northern Atlantic earless seals having snouts like trunks • Syn: ↑sea elephant • Hypernyms: ↑earless seal, ↑true seal, ↑hair seal • Member Holonyms: ↑Mirounga, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • elephant seal — noun a large seal that breeds on the west coast of North America and around Antarctica, the male of which has a very thick neck and an inflatable snout. [Genus Mirounga: two species.] …   English new terms dictionary

  • elephant seal — el′ephant seal n. mam either of two large seals of the genus Mirounga, of the Pacific coast of North America and the Antarctic Ocean, having a trunklike proboscis • Etymology: 1835–45 …   From formal English to slang

  • elephant seal — noun Date: 1839 either of two very large seals (genus Mirounga of the family Phocidae) characterized by a long inflatable proboscis: a. one (M. angustirostris) found in Pacific coastal waters from southeastern Alaska to Baja California b. one (M …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • elephant seal — noun A large marine mammal of the genus Mirounga, which is the largest of the pinnipeds …   Wiktionary

  • elephant seal — /ˈɛləfənt sil/ (say eluhfuhnt seel) noun either of two species of large earless seals, the males of which have an inflatable trunk like proboscis, Mirounga leonina of Antarctic regions and M. angustirostris of North America …  

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