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gum acacia. East Indian gum arabic comes from a tree of the Orange family which bears the elephant apple. -- Gum butea, a gum yielded by the Indian plants Butea frondosa and B. superba, and used locally in tanning and in precipitating indigo. -- Gum cistus, a plant of the genus Cistus (Cistus ladaniferus), a species…

A number of beasts assembled together; as, a herd of horses, oxen, cattle, camels, elephants, deer, or swine; a particular stock or family of cattle. The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea. Gray.

Of lofty structure; tall. "High-built organs." Tennyson. The high-built elephant his castle rears. Creech.

generally inconspicuous white or green flowers. Loudon. -- Hottentot's bread. (Bot.) See Elephant's foot (a), under Elephant.

A seat or pavilion, generally covered, fastened on the back of an elephant, for the rider or riders. [Written also houdah.]

To cover the back of; to load or burden. [Obs.] Elephants indorsed with towers. Milton.

The hard, white, opaque, fine-grained substance constituting the tusks of the elephant. It is a variety of dentine, characterized by the minuteness and close arrangement of the tubes, as also by their double flexure. It is used in manufacturing articles of ornament or utility.

An inclosure constructed to entrap wild elephants; an elephant trap. [India]

An inclosure into which are driven wild elephants which are to be tamed and educated. [Ceylon]

Capable of being easily bent; pliant; flexible; limber; as, the elephant's lithe proboscis. Milton.

The keeper and driver of an elephant. [East Indies]

An extinct, hairy, maned elephant (Elephas primigenius), of enormous size, remains of which are found in the northern parts of both continents. The last of the race, in Europe, were coeval with prehistoric man.

An extinct genus of mammals closely allied to the elephant, but having less complex molar teeth, and often a pair of lower, as well as upper, tusks, which are incisor teeth. The species were mostly larger than elephants, and their romains occur in nearly all parts of the world in deposits ranging from Miocene to late Q…

Resembling a nævus or nævi; as, nævoid elephantiasis. Dunglison.

An elephant. [Obs.]

A group of hoofed mammals distinguished for the thickness of their skins, including the elephant, hippopotamus, rhinoceros, tapir, horse, and hog. It is now considered an artificial group.

Very heavy; weighty; as, a ponderous shield; a ponderous load; the ponderous elephant. The sepulcher . . . Hath oped his ponderous and marble jaws. Shak.

An elephant that has separated from a herd and roams about alone, in which state it is very savage.

The sea elephant.

The purslane tree of South Africa, -- said to be the favorite food of elephants. Balfour (Cyc. of India).