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. |