giraffe

American  

[juh-raf, -rahf] / dʒəˈræf, -ˈrɑf /

noun

1. a tall, long-necked, spotted ruminant, Giraffa camelopardalis, of Africa: the tallest living quadruped animal.

2. Astronomy. Giraffe, the constellation Camelopardalis.

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giraffe British  

/ dʒɪˈrɑːf, -ˈræf /

noun

1. a large ruminant mammal, Giraffa camelopardalis, inhabiting savannas of tropical Africa: the tallest mammal, with very long legs and neck and a colouring of regular reddish-brown patches on a beige ground: family Giraffidae

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Etymology

Origin of giraffe

First recorded in 1585–95; from French girafe, from Italian giraffa, from dialectal Arabic zirāfah; further origin uncertain

Example Sentences

What he found instead was a girl about his age, his height, feeding a giraffe.

From Literature

Sam could see that you climbed up the giraffe and slid down its long neck, and that it would probably be a whole lot of fun.

From Literature

It didn’t rain cats and dogs; it rained cows and horses … lions and tigers … boy, it rained elephants and giraffes!

From Literature

He sketched impossible hybrids: elephant/mouse, giraffe/pig, chameleon/boy.

From Literature

A tall, slender Riesling magnum is the giraffe of the wine world: striking and exotic.

From The Wall Street Journal