Dictionary

giraffe en · NOUN

Pronunciation

/dʒɪˈɹɑːf/ (Received-Pronunciation)
/d͡ʒəˈɹæf/ (General-American)
(Southern-England) audio
/dʒɪˈɹaf/ (Northern-England, Scotland)
(US) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱer- Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ ? Proto-Indo-European *ḱerh₂-der.? Classical Persian زُرْنَا (zurnā) Proto-Indo-European *ped- Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *pṓds Proto-Indo-Iranian *pā́ts Proto-Iranian *pā́dah Old Persian 𐎱𐎠𐎭 (p-a-d) Classical Persian پَا (pā) Classical Persian زُرْنَاپَا (zurnāpā)bor. Classical Syriac ܙܪܢܦܐ (zarnāp̄ā) Classical Syriac ܙܪܝܦܐ (zārīp̄ā)bor. Arabic زُرَافَة (zurāfa)bor. Italian giraffabor. Middle French giraffebor. English giraffe From Middle French giraffe, from Italian giraffa, from Arabic زُرَافَة (zurāfa), from Classical Syriac ܙܪܝܦܐ (zārīp̄ā), from Classical Persian زُرْنَاپَا (zurnāpā, literally “flute-leg”). Displaced camelopard.

Meanings

A ruminant in the genus Giraffa of the African savannah with long legs, a highly elongated neck, yellow fur patterned with dark spots typically in the form of a network, and two or more horn-like projections called ossicones; the tallest living animal.
- A group of giraffes is called a tower. 2019 June 6, “A gaggle, a confusion and a conspiracy - bizarre animal collective group names”, in BBC:
A giraffe unicycle.
(Cockney, slang) A laugh.
- Are you having a giraffe?!
(colloquial) A very tall individual.
(colloquial, derogatory, especially) A very tall individual. ▸ A very tall woman.

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
giraff		alternative, obsolete	lexicographic
giraffes	Number=Plur		lexicographic
giraffe	Number=Plur		lexicographic
jaraff		alternative, obsolete	lexicographic

Coordinates

tower (animal)

Translations (194)

bot kïlïrü (mammal) · myv дуебабри (mammal) · nl giraf (mammal) · to selafi (mammal) · vi hươu cao cổ (mammal) · tg заррофа (mammal) · pl żyrafa (mammal) · tk žiraf (mammal) · fa زرّافه (mammal) · cic issoba nokhistap falaaꞌ (mammal) · uz jirafa (mammal) · lo ກວາງຄໍຍາວ (mammal) · grc καμηλοπάρδαλις (mammal) · sh žiràfa (mammal) · chr ᏗᎦᎵᏍᏚᎩᏍᎩ (mammal) · si ජිරාෆ් (mammal) · aii ܙܵܪܝܼܦܵܐ (mammal) · ki njirabu (mammal) · id zarafah (mammal) · za loeghozraez (mammal) · kmr zirafe (mammal) · hts háwayii (mammal) · hi जिराफ़ (mammal) · sq gjirafë (mammal) · guw owhin (mammal) · nd intundla (mammal) · ps زرافه (mammal) · hi जिराफ (mammal) · ga sioráf (mammal) · th ยีราฟ (mammal) · wo njamala mi (mammal) · cic issoba ittiꞌ ibitop aaimpaꞌ (mammal) · la camelopardalis (mammal) · st thuhlo (mammal) · oc girafa (mammal) · hi जुराफा (mammal) · dsb girafa (mammal) · syc ܙܪܢܦܐ (mammal) · id jerapah (mammal) · az zürafə (mammal) · cy jiráff (mammal) · scn zirafa (mammal) · ca girafa (mammal) · mi kakīroa (mammal) · nan-hbl 麒麟鹿 (mammal) · mk жира́фа (mammal) · ky акыра (mammal) · es jirafa (mammal) · cic issoba chaahaꞌ (mammal) · is gíraffi (mammal) · lv žirafe (mammal) · an chirafa (mammal) · haw kamelopaki (mammal) · bm ntilen (mammal) · ru жира́ф (mammal) · sv giraff (mammal) · uk жира́фа (mammal) · io jirafo (mammal) · uli cheraaef (mammal) · km ហ្សីរ៉ាហ្វ (mammal) · ny nswala (mammal) · hy ընձուղտ (mammal) · zu indlulamithi (mammal) · hi जराफ़ (mammal) · lb Giraff (mammal) · yue 長頸鹿 /长颈鹿 (mammal) · sh жира̀фа (mammal) · hrx Schiraff (mammal) · tr zürafa (mammal) · da giraf (mammal) · pt girafa (mammal) · hsb girafa (mammal) · my သစ်ကုလားအုတ် (mammal) · he זֶמֶר (mammal) · sk žirafa (mammal) · hi जराफा (mammal) · mel jirapah (mammal) · cae njabala (mammal) · ru жира́фа (mammal) · hak 長頸鹿 /长颈鹿 (mammal) · eo ĝirafo (mammal) · km កវែង (mammal) · tzm ⴰⵎⴷⵖ (mammal) · nv tsinlátah ayáanii (mammal) · syl ꠎꠤꠞꠣꠚ (mammal) · ar زَرَافَة (mammal) · ro girafă (mammal) · gu જિરાફ (mammal) · kk керік (mammal) · ko 기린 (mammal) · kn ಜಿರಾಫೆ (mammal) · eu jirafa (mammal) · nso thutlwa (mammal) · mr जिराफ (mammal) · el καμηλοπάρδαλη (mammal) · et kaelkirjak (mammal) · aa gari (mammal) · dru carakicaki (mammal) · scn jirafa (mammal) · nrf girafe (mammal) · ki ndũiga (mammal) · ht jiraf (mammal) · bn জরৈফ (mammal) · cop ⲁⲛⲑⲉⲣⲟⲥ (mammal) · ru гира́ф (mammal) · ttj entwiga class 9 (mammal) · as জিৰাফ (mammal) · tl hirapa (mammal) · he גִ׳ירָף (mammal) · ka ჟირაფი (mammal) · ts nhutlwa (mammal) · ml ജിറാഫ് (mammal) · tsg jirapa (mammal) · syc ܓܡܠ ܢܡܪܐ (mammal) · egy m:a-m:a-F27 (mammal) · sa शृङ्गपाद (mammal) · hu zsiráf (mammal) · lt žirafa (mammal) · mas olmeut (mammal) · bg жира́фа (mammal) · fo giraffur (mammal) · sg kôlo (mammal) · pal 𐭥𐭱𐭲𐭫𐭢𐭠𐭥𐭯𐭫𐭭𐭢 (mammal) · yo àgùnfọn (mammal) · bib baarɛ (mammal) · ja キリン (mammal) · te జిరాఫీ (mammal) · ast xirafa (mammal) · tn thutlwa (mammal) · tig ዝዖታ (mammal) · bg жира́ф (mammal) · it giraffa (mammal) · ms zirafah (mammal) · wal suylaalaa (mammal) · chw samulrangwa (mammal) · kmr canhêştir (mammal) · dyu wanjalaka (mammal) · ky жираф (mammal) · de Giraffe (mammal) · xal анаш (mammal) · hts zzokwanako (mammal) · mn ᠠᠨᠠᠰᠢ (mammal) · fi kirahvi (mammal) · kmr hêştirga (mammal) · ckb ھێشترگا (mammal) · dz སྐེ་རིང་རྟ (mammal) · ti ዝዖታ (mammal) · fa شترگاوپلنگ (mammal) · mn анааш (mammal) · cwa entwiga (mammal) · fr chameaupard (mammal) · ny nyamalikiti (mammal) · srs migusnitłuli (mammal) · am ቀጭኔ (mammal) · tig ዘራፍ (mammal) · rm giraffa (mammal) · xh indlulamthi (mammal) · ny kadyamnsonga (mammal) · yi זשיראַף (mammal) · ur جراف (mammal) · ur زرافہ (mammal) · nn sjiraff (mammal) · ckb زەڕافە (mammal) · ti ዘራፍ (mammal) · uz zirofa (mammal) · ta ஒட்டகச்சிவிங்கி (mammal) · nan-hbl 長頷鹿 /长颔鹿 (mammal) · chy tsėhe'ėsenotováhe (mammal) · vo giraf (mammal) · af kameelperd (mammal) · nan-hbl 長頭鹿仔 /长头鹿仔 (mammal) · sl žirafa (mammal) · om sattawwaa (mammal) · uk жира́ф (mammal) · naq ǃnaib (mammal) · kw jiraff (mammal) · be жыра́фа (mammal) · so geri (mammal) · amu kió' xtyo' tkò (mammal) · sw twiga (mammal) · ug زىراپە (mammal) · fa زرناپا (mammal) · iso ogodogbo (mammal) · fr girafe (mammal) · sm serafa (mammal) · nb sjiraff (mammal) · dta чилин (mammal) · cmn 長頸鹿 /长颈鹿 (mammal) · ja 麒麟 (mammal) · dv ޒަރާފާ (mammal) · tg шутурпаланг (mammal) · ln díkálá class 9a/10a (mammal) · gl xirafa (mammal) · cs žirafa (mammal)