woolly mammoth

noun

: a heavy-coated mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) formerly inhabiting the colder parts of the northern hemisphere

Illustration of woolly mammoth

Illustration of woolly mammoth

Examples of woolly mammoth in a Sentence

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Hunting a woolly mammoth may have had a high reward, but ancient people in central Europe likely went after other animals first. Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2025 Related article Fossils of ancient chromosomes found for the first time in 52,000-year-old woolly mammoth skin Those efforts just got a boost. Katie Hunt, CNN, 16 Jan. 2025 Read more Fossils 'Dog-Like' Fossil Discovery May Be Oldest Known Saber-Toothed Animal What is the difference between a mastodon and a woolly mammoth? Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024 The company's ambitious goal is to resurrect extinct species like the woolly mammoth, the dodo, and the Tasmanian tiger. Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for woolly mammoth 

Word History

First Known Use

1874, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of woolly mammoth was in 1874

Dictionary Entries Near woolly mammoth

Cite this Entry

“Woolly mammoth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/woolly%20mammoth. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

woolly mammoth

noun
: an extinct mammal that was a heavy-coated mammoth of cold northern regions and is known from fossils, from the drawings of prehistoric human beings, and from entire dead frozen bodies dug up in Siberia

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