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eland

[ee-luh nd]
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noun, plural e·lands, (especially collectively) e·land.
  1. either of two large African antelopes of the genus Taurotragus, having long, spirally twisted horns: now rare.
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Origin of eland

1780–90; < Afrikaans < Dutch eland elk (Middle Dutch elen, elant) < early modern German Elen(d), probably < Lithuanian éllenis (now élnis; akin to OCS jelenĭ stag) or an OPruss equivalent; akin to elk
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for eland

Historical Examples

  • This has been attempted so far as regards the elephant, rhinoceros, giraffe, and eland.

    Impressions of South Africa

    James Bryce

  • The eland is one of those antelopes that appear to be independent of water.

    The Bush Boys

    Captain Mayne Reid

  • Of all antelopes the “eland,” or “caana” (Antelope oreas) is the largest.

    The Bush Boys

    Captain Mayne Reid

  • Whereas he could save all this trouble by driving the eland to camp; and this was his design.

    The Bush Boys

    Captain Mayne Reid

  • Speculative Bushmen seem to have been puzzled to account for the wildness of the eland.

British Dictionary definitions for eland

eland

noun
  1. a large spiral-horned antelope, Taurotragus oryx, inhabiting bushland in eastern and southern Africa. It has a dewlap and a hump on the shoulders and is light brown with vertical white stripes
  2. giant eland a similar but larger animal, T. derbianus, living in wooded areas of central and W Africa
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Word Origin

C18: via Afrikaans from Dutch eland elk; related to Old Slavonic jeleni stag, Greek ellos fawn
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for eland

n.

"large South African antelope," 1786, from Dutch eland "elk," from a Baltic source akin to Lithuanian elnias "deer," from PIE *el- "red, brown" (see elk), cognate with first element in Greek Elaphebolion, name of the ninth month of the Attic year (corresponding to late March-early April), literally "deer-hunting (month)." Borrowed earlier as ellan (1610s, via French), ellend, from the German form of the word.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper