el elefante
elephant
Animal muy grande, con trompa larga, orejas grandes y colmillos. Vive en algunas partes de África y Asia.
Definition & meaning
The word elefante refers to a large herbivorous mammal belonging to the family Elephantidae. It is characterized by its massive size, a long prehensile trunk, large ears, and ivory tusks.
In a figurative or colloquial sense, it can be used to describe something of an enormous or unwieldy size. It is also commonly used in the idiom "elefante blanco" (white elephant), which refers to a project, building, or possession that is very expensive to maintain but serves little to no practical purpose.
Grammar & Word origin
Grammar:
- It is a masculine noun (el elefante).
- The plural form is elefantes.
- The feminine form is elefanta.
Word origin: The word originates from the Latin elephantus, which in turn comes from the Greek eléphas, meaning "ivory" or "elephant."
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms:
- Paquidermo : A technical term used to describe large, thick-skinned mammals like elephants.
- Proboscidio : A scientific classification term referring to the order of mammals that includes elephants.
Antonyms: There are no direct antonyms for this word as it is a specific biological name. However, in the context of size, one might conceptually contrast it with words like:
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Examples
El elefante es el animal terrestre más grande.noun
The elephant is the largest land animal.
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