giraffe
Americannoun
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a tall, long-necked, spotted ruminant, Giraffa camelopardalis, of Africa: the tallest living quadruped animal.
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Astronomy. Giraffe, the constellation Camelopardalis.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of giraffe
First recorded in 1585–95; from French girafe, from Italian giraffa, from dialectal Arabic zirāfah; further origin uncertain
Explanation
A giraffe is an extremely tall animal with a very long neck. You can't miss the giraffes at the zoo, because they tower above all the other animals. Giraffes are the tallest living animals on land, the very largest of them being three times taller than an average human. The name giraffe can be traced back to the Arabic zarafa and is thought to be rooted in an African language. An earlier English name for these African ungulates was camelopard, from their similarities to camels (four legs, long neck) and leopards (spots).
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.
See Examples For:
On the lam in Texas: Gracie the giraffe.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 25, 2026
Holly sees an elephant, my husband sees a giraffe.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026
The arrival of a new bull giraffe at a safari park could help save one of the world's rarest species of the mammal.
From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026
As the animal grew from dog sized to horse sized to giraffe sized and eventually to enormous proportions, its place in the ecosystem shifted at each stage.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 27, 2026
Sticking out the top is the head of a giraffe.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
He then proceeded to pitch me an animated children’s show about singing giraffes.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026
Patterns resembling Voronoi diagrams can often be seen in nature, including the markings on giraffes.
From Science Daily ● May 14, 2026
He described how the safari has changed over the years, with upgrades for the places where the giraffes and lions sleep, and the amount of freedom and comfort all the animals now have.
From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2026
In recent weeks, hundreds of giraffes, zebras, and antelopes have been removed from the Kedong Ranch, on the shores of tourist hotspot Lake Naivasha.
From Barron's ● Nov. 17, 2025
Suddenly, amidst the tall and slim trees up ahead, you notice two giraffes quietly observing you.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
