elephant seal

[el-uh-fuhnt seel]

noun

1. either of two large earless seals of the genus Mirounga, specifically M. angustirostris northern elephant seal of the Pacific coast of North America and M. leonina southern elephant seal of the Southern Ocean and South Atlantic Ocean, both species noted for a curved proboscis resembling an elephant's trunk: the largest living carnivorans, weighing up to 11,000 pounds (5,000 kilograms).

elephant seal

noun

1. either of two large earless seals, Mirounga leonina of southern oceans or M. angustirostris of the N Atlantic, the males of which have a long trunklike snout

Word History and Origins

Origin of elephant seal¹

First recorded in 1835–45

Example Sentences

Their prey included larger species such as California sea lions, northern elephant seals, gray whale calves and Pacific white-sided dolphins, and they typically hunted in groups averaging nine individuals.

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The remote island of South Georgia is the home of a majority of all southern elephant seals.

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About 10 miles beyond the elephant seals, the raw, horizontal coastal landscape morphs into a more vertical scene and the highway begins to climb and twist.

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"It's heavily colonised by penguins and elephant seals and all kinds of sea birds," said Prof Coffin, who studies the undersea geography of the islands.

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Whales and elephant seals glide through the shimmering water, while bears and mountain lions patrol the misty headlands.

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