el‧e‧phant /ˈeləfənt, ˈelɪfənt/
noun [countable][
Date: 1200-1300;
Language: Old French;
Origin: oliphant, from Greek elephas 'elephant, ivory']
1. a very large grey animal with four legs, two
tusks (=long curved teeth) and a
trunk (=long nose) that it can use to pick things up
2. the elephant in the (living) room an important subject or problem that everyone knows about but no one mentions:
The race issue is the elephant in the room in this election. ⇒
white elephant [TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲