[juh-raf or, especially Brit., -rahf] 
| 1. | a tall, long-necked, spotted ruminant, Giraffa camelopardalis, of Africa: the tallest living quadruped animal. |
| 2. | (initial capital letter ) Astronomy. the constellation Camelopardalis. |
| gi·raffe (jə-rāf') 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. |