dwarf elephant

[dwawrf el-uh-fuhnt]

noun

1. 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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of dwarf elephant¹

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

The hathay was pulled by a dwarf elephant, her hide the color of dirty snow.

From Literature

A two-wheeled cart went rumbling past them, pulled by a white dwarf elephant.

From Literature

When that sally got no response, he lapsed back into silence, contemplating the rolling rump of the white dwarf elephant ahead of them.

From Literature

We have been much interested in the performances of the Infant Jumbo, the dwarf elephant, and no wonder.

From Project Gutenberg

Previous excavations in central Flores had already uncovered primitive stone tools, dating to about 800,000 years ago, mixed in with fossils of an extinct species of dwarf elephant known as Stegodon.

From Time Magazine Archive