desert elephant

American  

[dez-ert el-uh-fuhnt] / ˈdɛz ərt ˌɛl ə fənt /

noun

1. an African bush elephant that inhabits the Namib and Sahara deserts, formerly classified as a subspecies but now identified fully with the Loxodonta africana species: the principal difference between desert elephants and other African bush elephants is habitat.

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Etymology

Origin of desert elephant

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

And when we did see the elephants in the Namibian episode in the desert elephant episode in particular, there was such a sense of celebration that we had.

From Salon • Apr. 23, 2023

No one had seen a desert elephant in the park in years.

From New York Times • Mar. 16, 2019