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elephant ear

American  
[el-uh-fuhnt eer] / ˈɛl ə fənt ˌɪər /

noun

  1. Also elephant's-ear any of various plants with very large, sturdy leaves shaped somewhat like an elephant’s ear in shape, especially a plant of the arum family (Aracea), including caladium, malanga, and taro.

  2. Cooking.

    1. a large, flat, sugared pastry made from fried dough, somewhat resembling an elephant's ear.

    2. palmier.


Etymology

Origin of elephant ear

First recorded in 1865–70 elephant ear for def. 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This beautiful elephant ear wowed the judges with its sturdy burgundy stems and large glossy leaves featuring pink veins and creamy white centers.

From Seattle Times • May 8, 2024

One more thing that makes it great to be here: eating an elephant ear.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 15, 2024

They have very specific things I need for Vietnamese cooking, like fish sauce, noodles and herbs, like rice paddy herb, elephant ear plant and Vietnamese coriander.

From New York Times • Dec. 24, 2021

She promptly got a call from a school administrator, and before the day was out, she had packed some clothes and her elephant ear fish, Dumbo, and moved into quarantine housing.

From New York Times • May 17, 2021

From where I stood, the moon bloomed like a giant elephant ear off the side of his head.

From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely