/el'euh feuhn tuy"euh sis, -fan-/ , n.
1. Pathol. a chronic filarial disease resulting in lymphatic obstruction, characterized by marked enlargement of the parts affected, esp. of the legs and scrotum, transmitted by mosquitoes.
2. untoward growth or development: bureaucratic elephantiasis.
[ 1575-85; elephantíasis, equiv. to elephant- ELEPHANT + -iasis -IASIS ]