Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

see the elephant

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.08 in modern English

Syllables: see the ele-phant
IPA

22

Scrabble Score

14

Letters

2

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To witness something unexpected and awe-inspiring.

American usage; Obsolete; Slang

verb

To be up to the latest moves; to be knowing and worldly.

American usage; Obsolete; Slang

verb

To witness or participate in a battle.

American usage; Slang

verb

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see see, the, elephant.

Example Sentences

""[W]hy he's a natural born carakter. He is the best hand at a yarn in all west country, and will whip more cats, tell more lies, and eat more pork, than any fellow in Texas. […] [H]e's rare, jist the chap, and no mistake. He's seen the elephant, I imagine, a little more nor twice, I expect.""

Usage

American usage
Obsolete
Slang

Inflected Forms

sees the elephant (present, singular) seeing the elephant (participle, present) saw the elephant (past) seen the elephant (participle, past)

Questions

What does see the elephant mean?: To witness something unexpected and awe-inspiring.

How to pronounce see the elephant

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “see the elephant”.
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