mastodon
/'mæstədɔn/
Definition
- Noun:
- An extinct elephant-like mammal: A very large, extinct mammal that resembled modern elephants but had distinct physical differences, particularly in tooth structure. Mastodons lived from the Miocene epoch through the Pleistocene epoch.
Examples of Usage
- Noun:
- Fossils of the American mastodon have been found across North America.
- The mastodon was a herbivore that browsed on trees and shrubs.
Advanced Usage
- In scientific contexts: The term is used to refer specifically to members of the extinct genus (family Mammutidae), distinguishing them from mammoths and modern elephants.
- The study compared the DNA of the mastodon to that of the woolly mammoth.
Variants and Related Words
- Mastodonic (adj): Of or relating to mastodons; resembling a mastodon, especially in great size.
- The old, mastodonic machinery filled the entire warehouse.
Synonyms
- None precise: There are no exact synonyms for this specific extinct genus. Related terms include:
- Proboscidean: A member of the order Proboscidea, which includes elephants and their extinct relatives like mastodons and mammoths.
Different Meanings
- This word has only one primary meaning referring to the extinct mammal. It is not commonly used in other contexts.
Idioms
- There are no common idioms using the word "mastodon."
Phrasal Verbs
- There are no phrasal verbs using the word "mastodon."
Noun
-
extinct elephant-like mammal that flourished worldwide from Miocene through Pleistocene times; differ from mammoths in the form of the molar teeth
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