[el.e.phan.ti.a.sis] n, pl -a.ses [NL, fr. L, a kind of leprosy, fr. Gk, fr. elephant-, elephas] (1581) 1: enlargement and thickening of tissues; specif: the enormous enlargement of a limb or the scrotum caused by obstruction of lymphatics by filarial worms (esp. Wuchereria bancrofti)
2: an undesirable usu. enormous growth, enlargement, or overdevelopment "~ of intellect and atrophy of emotion --Michael Lerner"