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Giraffe - 5 dictionary results
gi⋅raffe
[juh-raf or, especially Brit., -rahf] 
–noun
| 1. | a tall, long-necked, spotted ruminant, Giraffa camelopardalis, of Africa: the tallest living quadruped animal. |
| 2. | (initial capital letter ) Astronomy. the constellation Camelopardalis. |
Origin:
1585–95; < F girafe < It giraffa < dial. Ar zirāfah, perh. < Pers zurnāpā
1585–95; < F girafe < It giraffa < dial. Ar zirāfah, perh. < Pers zurnāpā
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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Language Translation for : Giraffe
| Spanish: | jirafa, | German: | die Giraffe, | Japanese: | きりん |
| gi·raffe
(jə-rāf') Pronunciation Key
n. pl. gi·raffes or giraffe An African ruminant mammal (Giraffa camelopardalis) having a very long neck and legs, a tan coat with orange-brown to black blotches, and short horns. It is the tallest land animal, often reaching a height of 5 meters (16 1/2 feet), and feeds principally by browsing in the tree canopy of wooded grasslands. [French girafe, from Italian giraffa, from Arabic dialectal zirāfa, probably of African origin.] gi·raff'ish adj. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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giraffe
1594, from It. giraffa, from Ar. zarafa, probably from an African language. Earlier M.E. spellings varied wildly, depending on the source, including jarraf, ziraph, and gerfauntz, the last apparently reflecting some confusion with olifaunt "elephant." Replaced earlier camelopard, a compound of camel (for the long neck) and pard (1) "leopard" (for the spots).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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| giraffe | |
noun | |
| tallest living quadruped; having a spotted coat and small horns and very long neck and legs; of savannahs of tropical Africa |
WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
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Giraffe
Gi*raffe"\, n. [F. girafe, Sp. girafa, from Ar. zur[=a]fa, zar[=a]fa.] (Zo["o]l.) An African ruminant (Camelopardalis giraffa) related to the deers and antelopes, but placed in a family by itself; the camelopard. It is the tallest of animals, being sometimes twenty feet from the hoofs to the top of the head. Its neck is very long, and its fore legs are much longer than its hind legs.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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