n. [ OE. elefaunt, olifant, OF. olifant, F. éléphant, 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. (Zoöl.) 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 (Zoöl.), any very large beetle of the genus Goliathus (esp. G. giganteus), of the family Scarabæidæ. They inhabit West Africa. --
Elephant fish (Zoöl.), a chimæroid fish (Callorhynchus antarcticus), with a proboscis-like projection of the snout. --
Elephant paper, paper of large size, 23 × 28 inches. --
Double elephant paper, paper measuring 263/4 × 40 inches. See Note under Paper. --
Elephant seal (Zoöl.), 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 (Zoöl.), the tooth shell. See Dentalium. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Med.) Affected with elephantiasis; characteristic of elephantiasis. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ L., fr. Gr. &unr_;, from 'ele`fas, 'ele`fantos, an elephant. ] (Med.) A disease of the skin, in which it become enormously thickened, and is rough, hard, and fissured, like an elephant's hide. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a natural family of mammals comrising the elephants.
Syn. -- family Elephantidae. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. [ L. elephantinus of ivory, Gr. &unr_;: cf. F. éléphantin. ] Pertaining to the elephant, or resembling an elephant (commonly, in size); hence, huge; immense; heavy; as, of elephantine proportions; an elephantine step or tread. [ 1913 Webster ]

Elephantine epoch (Geol.), the epoch distinguished by the existence of large pachyderms. Mantell. --
Elephantine tortoise (Zoöl.), a huge land tortoise; esp., Testudo elephantina, from islands in the Indian Ocean; and T. elephantopus, from the Galapagos Islands.

{ } a. [ Elephant + -oid. ] (Zoöl.) Resembling an elephant in form or appearance. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. an annual of the southern U.S. and Mexico (Proboscidea louisianica) having large whitish or yellowish flowers mottled with purple and a long curving beak.
Syn. -- common unicorn plant, devil's claw, common devil's claw, proboscis flower, ram's horn, Proboscidea louisianica. [ WordNet 1.5 ]