giraffe

American  

[juh-raf, -rahf] / dʒəˈræf, -ˈrɑf /

noun

• giraffes
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• giraffes
  plural

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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

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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

See Examples For:

giraffe giraffes

On the lam in Texas: Gracie the giraffe.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 25, 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

They also have English Staffordshire porcelain dog and giraffe figurines, vintage British and French Majolica plates, and lamps and rugs they found on Etsy, EBay and at auctions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 18, 2026

Daniel Chiaberta zips through the crowds at the FAO Schwarz toy store in Midtown Manhattan, pointing out giant giraffe plush toys, luxury teddy bears and scented slime.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 21, 2025

Also a stuffed giraffe that was bigger than her, that Uncle Tony won for her at a carnival.

From "Patina" by Jason Reynolds

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

The proposals on the table attempt to strengthen protections for several shark species, weaken restrictions on trade in giraffes and open the way to limited sales of rhino horn and elephant ivory.

From Barron's ● Nov. 24, 2025

“Think how you’ll grieve for all you’ll leave behind,” she sings to a herd of otters, koalas, flamingos, giraffes, bunnies and kangaroos fleeing Oz for the safety of the Yellow Brick Underground Railroad.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 18, 2025

“There may very well be feral giraffes and feral hippos living in Tokyo and a polar bear living freely in Calcutta. We just don’t believe there was a tiger living in your lifeboat.”

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

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