eland

[ee-luh nd]

noun, plural e·lands, (especially collectively) e·land.

either of two large African antelopes of the genus Taurotragus, having long, spirally twisted horns: now rare.

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. 2019

Examples from the Web for eland

Historical Examples of eland

This has been attempted so far as regards the elephant, rhinoceros, giraffe, and eland.
Impressions of South Africa
James Bryce
Of all antelopes the “eland,” or “caana” (Antelope oreas) is the largest.
The Bush Boys
Captain Mayne Reid
The eland is one of those antelopes that appear to be independent of water.
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.
Myth, Ritual, and Religion, Vol. 1
Andrew Lang

British Dictionary definitions for eland

eland

noun

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

giant eland a similar but larger animal, T. derbianus, living in wooded areas of central and W Africa

Word Origin for eland

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

"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.