proboscidian

9.9

A large plant-eating animal like an elephant with a long trunk and tusks

noun
/prəˈbɑːsɪdiən/

Specialized

: proboscídeo

Elephants are the only living proboscidians, but many extinct species once roamed the earth.

Examples

The museum's display included the skeleton of a prehistoric proboscidian discovered in the region.
Scientists believe that the decline of proboscidian populations was linked to changes in climate.
The proboscidian is fascinating.
Did you see the proboscidian exhibit at the museum?
Elephants are the only living proboscidians, but many extinct species once roamed the earth.
The museum's display included the skeleton of a prehistoric proboscidian discovered in the region.
Scientists believe that the decline of proboscidian populations was linked to changes in climate.

Synonyms

proboscidean

vsproboscidian

Specialized

1 9.9

A large plant-eating mammal with tusks and a long trunk like an elephant

is the same meaning but written with a different spelling

Surface Forms

proboscidian singular

proboscidians plural

Morphology

proboscidian = proboscis (semi-transparent) = proboscis + ian

Relation to 'proboscis' is clear, but the term denotes a taxonomic group (Proboscidea), a specialized biological meaning not obvious to general learners.

Etymology

Proboscidian comes from the Greek root proboscis, which means 'long nose'. It names animals like elephants that have a long trunk, so the word points to their big nose.