Elephantoid

/ˌɛləˈfæntɔɪd/ adjective

Definition

Resembling or having the form or appearance of an elephant; elephant-shaped or elephant-like.

Etymology

From 'elephant' plus the Greek suffix '-oid' (resembling or having the form of), a scientific and descriptive suffix used extensively in zoology and anatomy.

Kelly Says

The '-oid' suffix is a linguistic tool that lets scientists describe things quickly without inventing entirely new words—'elephantoid' means the shape registers as elephant-like to our visual perception even if it's not an actual elephant!

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