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Whale vs Elephant - What's the difference?

whale | elephant |

In figuratively terms the difference between whale and elephant

is that whale is something, or someone, that is very large while elephant is anything huge and ponderous.

As nouns the difference between whale and elephant

is that whale is any of several species of large sea mammals of the order Cetacea while elephant is a mammal of the order Proboscidea, having a trunk, and two large ivory tusks jutting from the upper jaw.

As a verb whale

is to hunt for whales.

whale

English

(wikipedia whale) (Cetacea)

Noun

(en noun)
  • Any of several species of large sea mammals of the order Cetacea.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-08-03, volume=408, issue=8847, magazine=(The Economist)
    • , title= Yesterday’s fuel , passage=The dawn of the oil age was fairly recent. Although the stuff was used to waterproof boats in the Middle East 6,000 years ago, extracting it in earnest began only in 1859 after an oil strike in Pennsylvania.
  • (figuratively) Something, or someone, that is very large.
  • * 1920 September, “A Reformed Free Lance” (pseudonym), “Doctoring a Sick Encyclopedia”, in The Writer , Volume XXXII, Number 9, page 131:
    • It was a whale of a job. It took two months, and the fair blush of youth off my cheeks.
  • * 1947 May 19, John Chamberlain, “Will Clayton and his Problem”, in , page 120:
    • But when it comes to his business life and business career, is not as other men; he is such a whale of a lot better that it suggests a qualitative as well as a quantitative difference.
  • (gambling) (In a casino) a person who routinely bets at the maximum limit allowable.
  • * 2003 , Jeff Wuorio, How to Buy and Sell (Just About) Everything ,
    • These are often no-limit games as maximum bets cramp a whale ’s style.
  • * 2004 , Norm Clarke, Vegas Confidential: Norm! Sin City's Ace Insider 1,000 Naked Truths, Hot Spots and Cool Stuff ,
    • A handful of the richest whales routinely play for $200,000 a hand. Australian media mogul Kerry Packer not only regularly bets that much, but has plunked down $200,000 bets for the dealer as a form of a tip.
  • * 2008', Deke Castleman, '''''Whale Hunt in the Desert ,
    • The high roller who had the most ferocious reputation for trying to run the business of the casinos where he played, before he died on December 26, 2006, was Kerry Packer. In the casino world, Packer was the Prince of Whales .

    Derived terms

    * blue whale * fin whale * have a whale of a time * humpback whale * killer whale * narwhal * pilot whale * sperm whale * whale catfish * whaler * whale fall * whalefish * whalelore * whale shark * whale watching * whaling

    See also

    (other associated terms) * baleen * cachalot * cete * orca * gam * pod * rorqual

    Verb

  • To hunt for whales.
  • To flog, to beat.

    • Anagrams

    *

    elephant

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A mammal of the order Proboscidea , having a trunk, and two large ivory tusks jutting from the upper jaw.
  • (figuratively) Anything huge and ponderous.
  • (paper, printing) A printing-paper size measuring 30 inches x 22 inches.
  • (British, childish) used when counting to add length, so that each count takes about one second.
    • Let's play hide and seek. I'll count. One elephant''', two '''elephant''', three '''elephant ...
  • (obsolete) ivory
    • (Dryden)

    Synonyms

    * (animal) Elephas maximus'', ''Loxodonta africana * (counting term) see

    Hyponyms

    * (animal) African bush elephant, African forest elephant, Indian elephant, African elephant

    Derived terms

    * African bush elephant * African elephant * African forest elephant * Asian elephant * Asiatic elephant * Borneo elephant, Borneo pygmy elephant * double elephant, double elephant paper * dwarf elephant * elephant apple * elephant bed * elephant beetle * elephant bird, elephantbird * elephant chess * elephant-color, elephant-colour * elephant cord * elephant creeper * elephant ear, elephant ears * elephant fish * elephant flipping * elephant folio * Elephant Gambit * elephant garlic * elephant grass * elephant-gravel * elephant-gray, elephant-grey * elephant gun * * elephant hawk moth * elephanticide * elephantide * elephant in Cairo * elephant in the corner, elephant in the kitchen, elephant in the living room, elephant in the room * (Elephant Island) * elephantitis * elephant joke * elephant juice * elephant leg * (Elephant Man) * elephant man's disease * elephant man's syndrome * elephant on the dinner table * elephant paper * elephant-path * elephant pearl * elephant polo * elephant-rain * elephantry * elephant's breath * elephant seal * elephant's ear, elephant's ears * elephant's foot * elephant's foot umbrella stand * elephant's-grass * elephants' graveyard * elephantship * elephant shrew * elephant's teeth * elephant's trunk, elephant trunk * Elephant's Trunk Nebula * elephant's trunk plant * elephant's trunk snake * elephant's tusk * elephant's-tusks * elephant's-vine * elephant test * elephant trank * elephant tranquilizer, elephant tranquilliser, elephant tranquillizer * Elephant Trap * elephant tree * elephant-trumpet * elephant-trunk fish * Elephant Trunk nebula * elephant-tusk * elephant yam * * forest elephant * get a look at the elephant * imperial elephant * Indian elephant * Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant * Order of the Elephant * pad elephant * pink elephant * pink elephants * pseudelephant * pygmy elephant * retail elephant * rogue elephant * savanna elephant, savannah elephant * sea elephant * see the elephant * show the elephant * Sri Lankan elephant * straight-tusked elephant * Sumatran elephant * temple elephant * war elephant * water elephant * white elephant

    Related terms

    * chryselephantine * elephancy * elephanta * elephanter * elephantiac * elephantiasis * elephantic * Elephantidae * elephantine * elephantoid * Elephantopus * Elephas

    External links

    * (wikipedia) * 1000 English basic words ----