# giraffe

Pronunciation: US say "juh-RAF" /d͡ʒəˈɹæf/; UK say "ji-RAHF" /dʒɪˈɹɑːf/

## Noun

1. A long-necked, long-legged African ruminant of the genus Giraffa, the tallest living animal, with spotted yellowish fur and short skin-covered horns.
   - Simple: A very tall African animal with a long neck, long legs, and a yellowish coat covered in dark spots.
   - _A giraffe can reach leaves far above the heads of other grazing animals._
   - _On the savannah, giraffes browse acacia trees that shorter herbivores cannot touch._
3. A tall unicycle whose saddle sits high above a single large wheel, driven by a chain that links the pedals to the wheel.
   - Simple: A tall cycle with one wheel, where the rider sits high up and pedals through a chain.
   - _She mounted the giraffe with help from two spotters before riding across the ring._
   - _Parade performers favor the giraffe because its height keeps them visible above the crowd._
4. A laugh, used as playful slang, often in the phrase "having a giraffe." *(dialectal, Cockney)*
   - Simple: A laugh, especially a hearty one, used as playful slang.
   - _We had such a giraffe watching the blooper reel after dinner._
   - _His impression of the boss gave everyone a giraffe._

## Noun

2. A person who stands much taller than those around them. *(rare)*
   - Simple: A person who is much taller than most other people.
   - _Standing head and shoulders above his teammates, he was the giraffe of the squad._
   - _She felt like a giraffe whenever she stood among her shorter coworkers._

## Origin

Borrowed from Middle French giraffe, which came from Italian giraffa, ultimately from Arabic zurāfa (with older forms traced through Syriac and Persian). It replaced the earlier English word camelopard.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/giraffe (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).