I. ˈmaməth noun
( -s )
Etymology: Russian mamot, mamont, mamant, perhaps from a Yakut word derived from Yakut mamma earth; from the belief that the mammoths burrowed in the earth like moles
1. : any of numerous extinct elephants widely distributed in the Pleistocene and distinguished from recent elephants by having molars with cementum filling the interstices of the numerous high narrow ridges of enamel and usually by the large size, very long upcurved tusks, and well-developed body hair — compare woolly mammoth
2. : something that is immense of its kind : giant
a company that is a mammoth of the industry
a diesel-powered mammoth of the highways
II. adjective
1. : resembling a mammoth in size and weight
a mammoth bull elephant
2. : characterized by extreme size, ponderous or preponderant weight, bulk, dimension, strength, or force : gigantic
the mammoth hydrogen bomb explosion — New York Times
a mammoth parade
mammoth watermelons, cabbages, and tomatoes — Alan Moorehead
the mammoth optimism of the man — Saturday Review
a mammoth undertaking
Synonyms: see huge