elephant ear en · NOUN
Etymology
From its general resemblance in form.
Meanings
- A funnel cake.
- A flat, crisp, sugared pastry made of fried dough.
- A palmier.
- Any of several plants in tribe Colocasieae or Caladieae. ▸ A taro plant, of genera Alocasia, Colocasia, or Xanthosoma.
- Any of several plants in tribe Colocasieae or Caladieae. ▸ Caladium.
- Burdock (Arctium spp.).
- Any bergenia, esp. of species Bergenia crassifolia,
- Gynandrocarpa placenta
-
(slang) A section of aileron that protrudes beyond the wing.
It did not have the “elephant ears” on the ailerons like the earlier Waco Model 9.
1990, Alaskan Aviation History: 1929-1930, page 714:
- (slang) A reinforcing disk on a missile.
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see elephant, ear.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| elephant ears | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| elephants' ear | alternative | lexicographic |