stegodon

[ steg-uh-don ]

noun

1. any extinct elephantlike mammal of the genus Stegodon, from the late Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs, usually considered to be directly ancestral to the modern elephant.

stegodon

/ ˈstɛɡəˌdɒnt; ˈstɛɡəˌdɒn /

noun

1. any proboscidean mammal of the genus Stegodon, of Pliocene to Pleistocene times, similar to the mastodons

Word History and Origins

Origin of stegodon¹

< New Latin, equivalent to Greek stego- stego- + -odōn toothed; -odont

Word History and Origins

Origin of stegodon¹

C19: New Latin (literally: ridge-toothed), from Greek stegos roof, from stegein to cover + odōn tooth