giraffe

American  

[juh-raf, -rahf] / dʒəˈræf, -ˈrɑf /

noun

1. a tall, long-necked, spotted ruminant, Giraffa camelopardalis, of Africa: the tallest living quadruped animal.

2. Astronomy. Giraffe, the constellation Camelopardalis.

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giraffe British  

/ dʒɪˈrɑːf, -ˈræf /

noun

1. a large ruminant mammal, Giraffa camelopardalis, inhabiting savannas of tropical Africa: the tallest mammal, with very long legs and neck and a colouring of regular reddish-brown patches on a beige ground: family Giraffidae

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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

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

A tall, slender Riesling magnum is the giraffe of the wine world: striking and exotic.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 22, 2025

This features a life-sized giraffe and a replica of an equestrian statue of Otto von Bismarck, the first chancellor of the German Empire, both constantly change shape in slow motion.

From Barron's • Oct. 22, 2025

It has been a challenging time for the San Diego Zoo, where three beloved animals — Kalluk, a polar bear; Nicky, a giraffe; and Maka, a gorilla — died within days of each other.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 14, 2025

A giraffe depends on its powerful, twenty-pound heart to fight the force of gravity to get the blood all the way up its neck.

From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti