Sumatran elephant

American

[soo-mah-truhn el-uh-fuhnt] / sʊˈmɑ trən ˈɛl ə fənt /

noun

an Asian elephant subspecies (Elephas maximus sumatranus ), native to Sumatra and classified as critically endangered: compared to its related subspecies, it has lighter skin, with less depigmentation.

Etymology

Origin of Sumatran elephant

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

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Pictures showing the carcass of a Sumatran elephant, another critically endangered species, being swept away by floods in Aceh in northern Sumatra went viral on social media last week.

From BBC • Dec. 11, 2025

Across the island towards the north coast, an endangered Sumatran elephant lay buried in thick mud and debris near damaged buildings in Meureudu town.

From Barron's • Nov. 30, 2025

JAKARTA, Indonesia — A pregnant Sumatran elephant was found dead of suspected poisoning near a palm plantation in Indonesia’s Riau province on the island of Sumatra, officials said Friday.

From Washington Times • May 27, 2022

The Sumatran elephant is considered a critically endangered species due to rapid rates of deforestation in its natural habitat of Borneo and Sumatra.

From BBC • Nov. 17, 2021

The Sumatran elephant in former days was caught and tamed extensively.

From The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 2 by Yule, Henry

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023