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

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

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 22, 2025

Kenyan authorities seized 400kg of giraffe meat as part of the global crackdown and, in Belgium, primate flesh was found.

From BBC • Dec. 11, 2025

Walking down the street, the typical American with his sunglasses, bridal-white tennis shoes, and hopeful cluelessness is about as obvious as a stray giraffe.

From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro