Oliphant vs. Elephant — What's the Difference?

An object often elaborately decorated.

Native to Africa and Asia.

A symbol of status in medieval Europe.

A large mammal with a trunk and tusks.

A term derived from Old French for elephant.

Impactful on their ecosystems.

A ceremonial item used in hunts.

Known for their intelligence and social behavior.

A medieval hunting horn made from an elephant’s tusk.

Elephants are a select group of proboscideans belonging to the family Elephantidae. They are the largest existing land animals.

An elephant.

Any of several very large herbivorous mammals of the family Elephantidae native to Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, having thick, almost hairless skin, a long, flexible, prehensile trunk, upper incisors forming long curved tusks of ivory, and, in the African species, large fan-shaped ears.

An ancient ivory hunting-horn.

Any of various extinct animals of the family Elephantidae.

A mammal of the order Proboscidea, having a trunk, and two large ivory tusks jutting from the upper jaw.

(in particular) Any member of the subfamily Elephantinae not also of the genera Mammuthus and Primelephas.

(figuratively) Anything huge and ponderous.

Synonym of elephant paper

Used when counting to add length, so that each count takes about one second

Ivory.

(xiangqi) A xiangqi piece, that is moved two points diagonally, may not jump over intervening pieces and may not cross the river.

A mammal of the order Proboscidia and family Elephantidae, of which two living species, Elephas maximus (formerly Elephas Indicus) and Loxodonta Africana (formerly E. Africanus), and several fossil species, are known. They have five toes, a long proboscis or trunk, and two large ivory tusks proceeding from the extremity of the upper jaw, and curving upwards. The molar teeth are large and have transverse folds. Elephants are the largest land animals now existing. The elephant is classed as a pachyderm.

Ivory; the tusk of the elephant.

Five-toed pachyderm

The symbol of the Republican Party; introduced in cartoons by Thomas Nast in 1874

Revered in various cultures.

An oliphant is a medieval hunting horn made from an elephant’s tusk.

An elephant is a large mammal with a long trunk, tusks, and large ears.

Elephants are native to Africa and Asia.

Elephants are known as "ecosystem engineers" because they significantly shape their habitats.

Oliphants symbolized nobility and were prized in medieval Europe.

Oliphants are primarily historical artifacts and are no longer in common use.

Yes, oliphants were used for signaling during hunts and in ceremonial contexts.

Oliphants were made from the tusks of elephants.

Elephants can live up to 60-70 years in the wild.

Elephants communicate through vocalizations, body language, and vibrations.

Elephants face threats from poaching, habitat loss, and human-wildlife conflict.

Oliphants were used in hunts and ceremonies, often to signal or demonstrate status.

Yes, oliphants are mentioned in medieval literature and epic tales.

Yes, oliphants were often elaborately decorated with carvings and inlays.

Elephants are revered in various cultures and feature in religious and cultural traditions.