Meaning & use
baby elephant
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A very young elephant, especially one that is still with its mother.
Grammar: Countable; plural is 'baby elephants'. Use 'a baby elephant' for one.
Patterns
- a baby elephant
- baby elephants
- the baby elephant's mother
The baby elephant stayed close to its mother as the herd moved toward the river.
At the zoo, a baby elephant was learning to pick up food with its trunk.
Baby elephants drink their mother's milk for about two years.
nouncountableinformal
A young elephant, often used in news reports or when talking about wildlife.
Grammar: Same as above; 'baby elephant' is informal but widely used in news and documentaries.
Patterns
- a baby elephant was born
- rescue a baby elephant
The news showed a baby elephant that had been rescued from a mud pit.
Conservationists are tracking a baby elephant that got separated from its family.
Word forms
| plural | baby elephants |
|---|
Common combinations
- a baby elephant is born
- A baby elephant is born after a pregnancy of nearly two years.
- feed a baby elephant
- Keepers feed a baby elephant special milk if its mother cannot.
- a baby elephant takes its first steps
- The herd gathered around as the baby elephant took its first steps.
- a baby elephant follows its mother
- In the wild, a baby elephant follows its mother everywhere.
- protect a baby elephant
- Adult females protect a baby elephant from lions and other predators.
- a baby elephant's trunk
- A baby elephant's trunk is short at first and grows longer with age.
Synonyms and how they differ
- calf
- The technical term for a young elephant; use it in scientific or formal writing, while 'baby elephant' is more everyday.
- young elephant
- A neutral phrase that can refer to any elephant that is not fully grown, not just a very young one.
Word family
- elephant noun
- The adult animal; 'baby elephant' is the young one.
- elephant calf noun
- The formal term for a baby elephant, common in biology and news.
- elephantine adjective
- Like an elephant; often used for something huge or clumsy.
Commonly confused: baby elephant or baby? baby elephant or calf?
baby elephant vs baby
Do not use 'baby' alone for an animal young; for elephants say 'baby elephant' or 'calf'.
baby elephant vs calf
A 'calf' can also mean a young cow or the back of your leg, so context is needed.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
'A baby elephant' is singular, so the verb must be 'is'. Option A uses 'are' with a singular subject; option C has no verb; option D uses 'is' with a plural subject.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “baby elephant”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.