Indian elephant

American  

[in-dee-uhn el-uh-fuhnt] / ˈɪn di ən ˈɛl ə fənt /

noun

1. the most widely distributed Asian elephant subspecies (Elephas maximus indicus ), inhabiting the grasslands and forests of mainland Asia, mostly throughout Southeast Asia, and classified as endangered: although its habitat is well spread out, its population has declined by more than half within the past 100 years, and poaching for tusks continues to be a serious threat.

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Etymology

Origin of Indian elephant

First recorded in 1600–10

Compare meaning

How does indian-elephant compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• African vs. Indian elephant

Example Sentences

The elephants that are beloved in Thailand are technically under the Indian elephant category, which is a subspecies of the Asian elephant.

From Fox News • Mar. 13, 2022

Indian elephant: Dissections of elephant eyes show that during the day, the gentle giants likely have red-green color blindness just like some humans, meaning they can’t distinguish the two colors.

From Scientific American • May 19, 2021

Her study beds the manuscripts in early-modern empiricism, and beautifully complements the plates — a jewel box of exquisitely rendered sunfish, chameleons, bees, an Indian elephant and more.

From Nature • Apr. 30, 2019

One famous example of an unexpected event was the guest appearance of Lulu the baby Indian elephant in 1969.

From BBC • Oct. 15, 2018

The boldest hunters feared to attack the monster, whose eyes shone with fire, while its bristles stood erect like spears, and its tusks resembled those of an Indian elephant.

From The Student's Mythology A Compendium of Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Assyrian, Persian, Hindoo, Chinese, Thibetian, Scandinavian, Celtic, Aztec, and Peruvian Mythologies by White, Catherine Ann