giraffe

American  

[juh-raf, -rahf] / dʒəˈræf, -ˈrɑf /

noun

giraffes plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• giraffes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of giraffe

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

Explanation

A giraffe is an extremely tall animal with a very long neck. You can't miss the giraffes at the zoo, because they tower above all the other animals. Giraffes are the tallest living animals on land, the very largest of them being three times taller than an average human. The name giraffe can be traced back to the Arabic zarafa and is thought to be rooted in an African language. An earlier English name for these African ungulates was camelopard, from their similarities to camels (four legs, long neck) and leopards (spots).

Example Sentences

Longleat welcomed three-year-old Nubian giraffe Stanley to the park on Wednesday as part of an international effort to safeguard the critically endangered species, bosses said.

From BBC • Jun. 13, 2026

As the animal grew from dog sized to horse sized to giraffe sized and eventually to enormous proportions, its place in the ecosystem shifted at each stage.

From Science Daily • Feb. 27, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 22, 2025

Coaxed and tugged by rangers, a blindfolded giraffe totters into the specialised vehicle that will transport it away from an increasingly hostile environment to a new home in Kenya's eastern Rift Valley.

From Barron's • Nov. 17, 2025

“She’s an emu-raffe, which is a bit like a donkey and a giraffe put together, only with fewer legs and a peevish temper. She’s a terrible sore loser at cards,” he added in a whisper.

From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs