elephant seal

[ el-uh-fuhnt seel ]

/ ˈɛl ə fənt ˌsil /

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noun

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).

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Also called sea elephant.

Origin of elephant seal

First recorded in 1835–45

Words nearby elephant seal

elephantiasis, elephantine, elephant in the room, elephant man's disease, elephants, elephant seal, elephant's-ear, elephant's-foot, elephant shrew, elephant's-trunk snake, Eleusinian

How to use elephant seal in a sentence

September and October are also the best months to see large populations of elephant seals hauling their enormous bodies onto the beaches at Piedra Blancas Light Station.
The 25 Best Fall Trips in the World|jversteegh|August 9, 2021|Outside Online
Crashing surf, a gray whale offshore, a fleet of elephant seals lolling on a beach.
5 of the American West’s Most Iconic Roads|kklein|August 8, 2021|Outside Online
Then, using a device called a respirometer, researchers measured otter muscle cells’ respiratory capacity in different states of oxygen flow compared with other animals — including humans, Iditarod sled dogs and elephant seals.
Sea otters stay warm thanks to leaky mitochondria in their muscles|Jaime Chambers|July 8, 2021|Science News
It’s home to elephant seals, bobcats, otters, owls, and over 100 rare, threatened, or endangered species of animals and plants.
Yvon Chouinard Says We Need to Protect Point Reyes|Yvon Chouinard|May 13, 2021|Outside Online

Hoskins noted that northern elephant seals exhale before diving deep.
Readers ask about Cuvier’s beaked whales, microbes in the atmosphere and more|Science News Staff|January 10, 2021|Science News
The southern Elephant Seal is M. leoninus, and reaches a length of some 20 feet.
The Cambridge Natural History, Vol X., Mammalia|Frank Evers Beddard
The rhytina, the Californian elephant seal, the great auk, and the Labrador duck have already been exterminated.
Taxidermy and Zoological Collecting|William T. Hornaday

British Dictionary definitions for elephant seal

elephant seal

noun

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

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