[proh-buh-sid-ee-uh
n, -bo-, proh-bos-i-dee-uhn] 
| 1. | pertaining to or resembling a proboscis. |
| 2. | having a proboscis. |
| 3. | belonging or pertaining to the mammals of the order Proboscidea, characterized by a flexible trunk formed of the nostrils and upper lip, large tusks, a massive body, and columnar legs, comprising the elephant and the now-extinct mammoth and mastodon. |
| 4. | a proboscidean animal. |
| pro·bos·cid·i·an (prō'bə-sĭd'ē-ən) n. A mammal of the order Proboscidea, such as the elephant or its extinct relatives, having a long trunk, large tusks, and a massive body. adj. Of or belonging to the order Proboscidea. [From New Latin Proboscidea, order name, from Latin proboscis, proboscid-, proboscis; see proboscis.] |
proboscidean also proboscidian (prō'bə-sĭd'ē-ən, prō-bŏs'ĭ-dē'ən) Pronunciation Key
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proboscidean
any of the group of mammals that includes elephants and their extinct relatives such as mammoths and mastodons. Although only three species of elephant are extant today, more than 160 extinct proboscidean species have been identified from remains found on all continents except Australia and Antarctica. Most of these were called gomphotheres, which belonged to a different family from elephants. Elephants and mammoths both belong to the only surviving proboscidean family, Elephantidae.
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