giraffe

American  

[juh-raf, -rahf] / dʒəˈræf, -ˈrɑf /

noun

• giraffes
  plural

1. a tall, long-necked, spotted ruminant, Giraffa camelopardalis, of Africa: the tallest living quadruped animal.

2. Astronomy. Giraffe, the constellation Camelopardalis.

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giraffe British  

/ dʒɪˈrɑːf, -ˈræf /

noun

1. a large ruminant mammal, Giraffa camelopardalis, inhabiting savannas of tropical Africa: the tallest mammal, with very long legs and neck and a colouring of regular reddish-brown patches on a beige ground: family Giraffidae

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• giraffes
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of giraffe

First recorded in 1585–95; from French girafe, from Italian giraffa, from dialectal Arabic zirāfah; further origin uncertain

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Explanation

A giraffe is an extremely tall animal with a very long neck. You can't miss the giraffes at the zoo, because they tower above all the other animals. Giraffes are the tallest living animals on land, the very largest of them being three times taller than an average human. The name giraffe can be traced back to the Arabic zarafa and is thought to be rooted in an African language. An earlier English name for these African ungulates was camelopard, from their similarities to camels (four legs, long neck) and leopards (spots).

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

giraffe giraffes

On the lam in Texas: Gracie the giraffe.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 25, 2026

The arrival of a new bull giraffe at a safari park could help save one of the world's rarest species of the mammal.

From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026

As the animal grew from dog sized to horse sized to giraffe sized and eventually to enormous proportions, its place in the ecosystem shifted at each stage.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 27, 2026

They also have English Staffordshire porcelain dog and giraffe figurines, vintage British and French Majolica plates, and lamps and rugs they found on Etsy, EBay and at auctions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 18, 2026

“See the circle on the gate? There’s a red giraffe in it.”

From "The One and Only Ivan" by Katherine Applegate

He has used giraffes, hippos, rhinos, camels and zebras, and now has both bisons and elephants at the Great Moscow Circus, which opened during the Soviet era.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

The 29,000-acre expanse of savannah and woodlands sits on the city’s edge, near two airports, yet it is home to lions, zebras and Maasai giraffes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026

Patterns resembling Voronoi diagrams can often be seen in nature, including the markings on giraffes.

From Science Daily ● May 14, 2026

Sen. Adam Schiff and California Gov. Gavin Newsom — are rendered as giraffes, turtles, antelopes and other animals.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 6, 2026

They point, take a couple photos, then head over to the nearby giraffes.

From "The One and Only Ivan" by Katherine Applegate

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