proboscidean
/ˌproʊbəˈsɪdiən/
noun
- A mammal of the order Proboscidea, which includes elephants and their extinct relatives (such as mammoths and mastodons).
- The elephant is the only living proboscidean today.
- The museum has a skeleton of a woolly mammoth, a famous extinct proboscidean.
- Fossils of ancient proboscideans have been found on every continent except Australia and Antarctica.
adjective
- Relating to or characteristic of the order Proboscidea, especially having a trunk or trunk-like nose.
- Some proboscidean features, like large tusks, evolved for defense and digging.
- The artist drew a proboscidean creature with a long, flexible snout.
- The proboscidean trunk is a versatile organ used for breathing, smelling, and grasping.