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Glite Dictionary
rogue elephant

rogue elephant

1 7.8
An elephant that has left its herd and acts dangerously
  • noun
  • /roʊɡ ˈɛlɪfənt/
translation icon : elefante rebelde
  • Local farmers are concerned about the rogue elephant that has been wandering near their homes.

Examples

  • Surrounded by a crowd, Orwell prepares to shoot a rogue elephant that just killed a Burmese native.

    Academic text (1994)

  • Translation: He roamed the classroom like a rogue elephant, completely unpredictable.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • The rogue elephant charged through the village, destroying crops and smashing fences.

  • Residents reported sightings of a rogue elephant that has been acting aggressively towards people.

Antonyms

tame
11 1.0

Not wild because people keep or breed it

How Dangerous

rogue elephant
1 7.8
wild animal
64 1.0

Surface Forms

rogue elephant singular
rogue elephants plural

Morphology

rogue + elephant

The phrase is a straightforward adjective + noun combination: if a learner knows 'rogue' (someone or something behaving unpredictably/aggressively) and 'elephant', they can infer an elephant acting unpredictably or separated from its herd. This compositional pattern is common and directly conveys the intended meaning without an idiomatic shift.

Etymology

Rogue elephant comes from the image of an elephant that has left its herd and is acting alone. When an elephant goes rogue it often damages crops and attacks people, so the phrase means an elephant that is 'separated from its herd' and 'dangerous'.