Word: Elephant

Pronunciation

/ˈɛlɪfənt/

Definitions

• Noun: A large, powerful animal with a long trunk, big ears, and tusks, native to Africa and Asia. Elephants are the largest land animals alive today and are known for their intelligence and social behavior. They are members of the family Elephantidae and have two living species, the African elephant (Loxodonta africana) and the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus).

Example Sentences:

• The elephant majestically crossed the savannah.
• In some parts of Southeast Asia, elephants are trained to work in the timber industry.

Phrases

• White elephant - A possession that is expensive to maintain but has little practical use; also, a burdensome or unwanted gift.

  “The old car became a white elephant after it constantly needed repairs.”

• Elephant in the room - A problem or controversial issue that people avoid discussing, even though it is obvious to all.

  “We can’t ignore the elephant in the room any longer; we need to talk about our financial situation.”

Synonyms

• Pachyderm
• Jumbo (informal)
• Tusker (referring to male elephants with large tusks)
• Mammoth (referring to extinct relatives)

Derived Forms and Phrasal Verbs

• To elephantine - Adjective describing something that is large, clumsy, or ponderous like an elephant.

  “The old furniture was elephantine in size, making it difficult to move around the room.”

• To remember like an elephant - Idiomatic expression meaning to have a very good memory.

  “Despite her age, she remembers details like an elephant.”

Please note that “elephant” does not typically function as other parts of speech such as verbs, adjectives, adverbs, etc., except when used in idioms or creative expressions.