dwarf elephant
[ dwawrf-el-uh-fuhnt ]
noun
any of numerous prehistoric proboscideans that evolved into much smaller sizes than their immediate ancestors, which had colonized islands unable to sustain their larger forms: the dwarf elephant fossils found on Mediterranean, Indonesian, and Californian islands provide evidence for the phenomenon of insular dwarfism.
Origin of dwarf elephant
1First recorded in 1865–70
word story For dwarf elephant
See Borneo elephant.
- Compare African pygmy elephant.
Words Nearby dwarf elephant
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use dwarf elephant in a sentence
The dwarf elephant, thirty-five inches high, was brought into the arena in an ordinary trunk.
The Adventures of Uncle Jeremiah and Family at the Great Fair | Charles McCellan Stevens (AKA 'Quondam')I simply adore them, and I should have liked to have a dwarf elephant.
My Double Life | Sarah Bernhardt
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