elephant
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++el·e·phant /ˈeləfənt/ ●●● W3 noun [countable] 1. 
HBAa very large grey animal with four legs, two tusks (=long curved teeth) and a trunk (=long nose) that it can use to pick things up 象2 the elephant in the (living) room an important subject or problem that everyone knows about but no one mentions 众所周知却被刻意回避的问题 The race issue is the elephant in the room in this election. 在这次选举中，重要的种族问题被刻意回避了。 → white elephant
HBAa very large grey animal with four legs, two tusks (=long curved teeth) and a trunk (=long nose) that it can use to pick things up 象2 the elephant in the (living) room an important subject or problem that everyone knows about but no one mentions 众所周知却被刻意回避的问题 The race issue is the elephant in the room in this election. 在这次选举中，重要的种族问题被刻意回避了。 → white elephantExamples from the Corpus
elephant• He rode on an elephant and on the Ferris wheel, taking only Amelia with him.• Each elephant is caparisoned in glittering gold, red, silver or blue cloth, studded with brilliants and lit with lamps.• Archaeologists divide the early inhabitants into elephant hunters and bison hunters.• The explosions started as soon as the last elephant had shuffled out of sight.• It looked like a place where the elephants came to die.• These countries are able to practise open trading because their elephant herds are now big enough to demand regular culling.• His agents within the Imperial army managed to assassinate three of Dara's generals as they sat exposed on their elephants.Origin elephant (1200-1300) Old French oliphant, from Greek elephas “elephant, ivory”el·e·phant nounChineseSyllable
four large with very grey Corpus animal legs, a two
elephant
el‧e‧phant /ˈeləfənt, ˈelɪfənt/
noun [countable]
a very large grey animal with four legs, two tusks (=long curved teeth) and a trunk (=long nose) that it can use to pick things up
2. the elephant in the (living) room an important subject or problem that everyone knows about but no one mentions:
The race issue is the elephant in the room in this election.
⇨ white elephant
el‧e‧phant /ˈeləfənt, ˈelɪfənt/
noun [countable] Date: 1200-1300
Language: Old French
Origin: oliphant, from Greek elephas 'elephant, ivory'
1. Language: Old French
Origin: oliphant, from Greek elephas 'elephant, ivory'
a very large grey animal with four legs, two tusks (=long curved teeth) and a trunk (=long nose) that it can use to pick things up
2. the elephant in the (living) room an important subject or problem that everyone knows about but no one mentions:
⇨ white elephant
