Mammoth

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈmæməθ/

Origin

From obsolete Russian мамант (modern мамонт), probably from an language, like Old Vogul *mēmoŋt ‘earth-horn’ (compare Mansi mā ‘earth’, ou̯tə ‘horn’) or Khanty - see Finnish maa ("earth").

Noun

1. Any species of the extinct genus Mammuthus, of large, usually hairy, elephant-like mammals with long curved tusks and an inclined back, which became extinct with the last retreat of ice age glaciers during the late Pleistocene period, and are known from fossils, frozen carcasses, and Paleolithic cave paintings found in North America and Eurasia.
• 1618, w, Oxford Slavonic Papers. New Series. Chapter The Implications of James's Maimanto, Maimanto, as they say a sea elephant which is never seene, but accordinge to the Samuites he workes himselfe under grownde and so they finde his teeth or homes or bones in Pechore and Nova Zemla of which they ...
• 1698, Heinrich Wilhelm Ludolf, A New English dictionary on historical principles: founded mainly on the materials collected by the Philological Society. Chapter , The Mammotovoy, which is dug out of the Earth in Siberia.
• 1706, Evert Ysbrants Ides, The Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, from Their Commencement in 1665 to the Year 1800. Chapter An Account of Elephants Teeth and Bones, found under Ground, The old Siberian Russians affirm that the Mammuth is very like the Elephant.
2. (obsolete) A mastodon.
• 1812, Samuel Fothergill and William Royston, The Medical and Physical Journal Chapter Half-yearly View of the Progress of Medicine, Many of our readers will remember the skeleton of the American mammoth, now the Mastodonton, being exhibited in London by Mr. Rembrandt Peale.
3. (figuratively) Something very large of its kind.
• 1802, Richard Hopwood Thornton, An American Glossary: Being an Attempt to Illustrate Certain Americanisms Upon Historical Principles Chapter , The last load, as we Yankees say, was a "Mammoth": ... producing an aggregate of nearly twelve cords.

Full definition of mammoth

Adjective

1. Comparable to a mammoth in its size; very large, huge, gigantic.
• 1801, Thomas Jefferson, The papers of Thomas Jefferson: 1 August to 30 November 1801 Chapter , I recieved from the persons to whom the inclosed is directed, a present of a quarter of a Mammoth-veal which at 115. days old weighed 438. lb.
• 1802, Richard Hopwood Thornton, An American Glossary: Being an Attempt to Illustrate Certain Americanisms Upon Historical Principles Chapter , A baker in this city offers Mammoth bread for sale. We suppose that his gigantic loaves were baked at a Salt Lick, and perhaps ...
• 1898, Guy Wetmore Carryl, , in ,“Ha! ha!” he proudly cried, “a fig
  For this, your mammoth torso!
  Just watch me while I grow as big
  As you—or even more so!”

Derived terms

Synonyms

• (very large) colossal, enormous, gigantic, huge, titanic