mammoth

mammoth
mammoth (n.) 1706, from Rus. mammot', probably from Ostyak, a Finno-Ugric language of northern Russia (Cf. Finnish maa "earth"). Because the remains were dug from the earth, the animal was believed to root like a mole. As an adjective, "gigantic," from 1802; in this sense "the word appears to be originally American" [Thornton, "American Glossary"], and its first uses are in derogatory accounts to the cheese wheel, more than 4 feet in diameter, sent to President Jefferson by the ladies of the Baptist congregation in Cheshire, Mass., as a present, engraved with the motto "Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God." Federalist editors mocked the affair, and called up the word mammoth (known from Peale's exhibition) to characterize it.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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Synonyms:
(Elephas primigenus), ,


Look at other dictionaries:

  • Mammoth — «Mammoth» Сингл Interpol из …   Википедия

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  • Mammoth — es un sistema de banda magnética para copias de seguridad (Backup) y archivo de datos. Se desarrolló a partir del proceso de 8mm Helical Scan de la Exabyte Corporation. Tiene una capacidad de entre 20 y 60 GB. Contenido 1 Variantes 2 Véase… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Mammoth — Mam moth (m[a^]m m[o^]th), a. Resembling the mammoth in size; very large; gigantic; as, a mammoth ox. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Mammoth — Mammoth, AZ U.S. town in Arizona Population (2000): 1762 Housing Units (2000): 697 Land area (2000): 1.083314 sq. miles (2.805770 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 1.083314 sq. miles (2.805770 sq.… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Mammoth, AZ — U.S. town in Arizona Population (2000): 1762 Housing Units (2000): 697 Land area (2000): 1.083314 sq. miles (2.805770 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 1.083314 sq. miles (2.805770 sq. km) FIPS… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Mammoth — Mam moth (m[a^]m m[o^]th), n. [Russ. m[^a]mont, m[ a]mant, fr. Tartar mamma the earth. Certain Tartar races, the Tungooses and Yakoots, believed that the mammoth worked its way in the earth like a mole.] (Zo[ o]l.) An extinct, hairy, maned… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • mammoth — index prodigious (enormous) Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • mammoth — *huge, vast, immense, enormous, elephantine, giant, gigantic, gigantean, colossal, gargantuan, Herculean, cyclopean, titanic, Brobdingnagian Analogous words: *monstrous, monumental, stupendous, tremendous, prodigious: ponderous, weighty, cumbrous …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • mammoth — [adj] huge behemothic, colossal, elephantine, enormous, gargantuan, giant, gigantic, high, immense, jumbo, large, leviathan, long, massive, mighty, monstrous, monumental, mountainous, prodigious, stupendous, titanic, vast; concept 773 Ant. little …   New thesaurus

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