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

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

Daniel Chiaberta zips through the crowds at the FAO Schwarz toy store in Midtown Manhattan, pointing out giant giraffe plush toys, luxury teddy bears and scented slime.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 21, 2025

Calum's "audition" clip uploaded to Instagram featured him, in his pyjamas, reading the story of a giraffe born without markings who learns that their differences make them special.

From BBC • Dec. 4, 2025

KWS veterinarian Dominic Mijele, who was part of the operation, told AFP the giraffe is the most difficult animal to move, the risks "numerous".

From Barron's • Nov. 17, 2025

Kaylee smirks and I can see her moving the points from the giraffe column to the owl column in her head.

From "The Benefits of Being an Octopus" by Ann Braden