elephant
UK[ˈelɪfənt]US[ˈeləfənt]
n
a very large plant-eating mammal with a long flexible trunk, large ears, and tusks.
n
a size of paper, typically 28 × 23 inches (approximately 711 × 584 mm).
Etymology
the word 'elephant' entered english via old french 'olifant' from latin 'elephantus', which itself was borrowed from greek 'elephas' (genitive 'elephantos'), meaning 'ivory' or 'elephant'. the greek term is likely of non-indo-european origin, possibly from a semitic source or an ancient african language, reflecting the animal's geographic origins. the semantic journey moved from the material ('ivory') to the animal that provides it, solidifying in english to denote the large mammal itself. the secondary meaning for paper size derives from an old watermark depicting an elephant.
Analysis
the word 'elephant' is a simplex loanword. it does not contain separable morphemes within its modern english spelling.
Examples
the african elephant is the largest land animal on earth.
we watched a herd of elephants bathing at the waterhole.
the document was printed on high-quality elephant paper.