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  1. white elephant love

Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. A rare, expensive possession that is a financial burden to maintain.
  2. n. Something of dubious or limited value.
  3. n. An article, ornament, or household utensil no longer wanted by its owner.
  4. n. An endeavor or venture that proves to be a conspicuous failure.
  5. n. A rare whitish or light-gray form of Asian elephant, often regarded with special veneration in regions of southeast Asia and India.

Wiktionary

  1. n. An albino elephant.
  2. n. idiomatic An possession that is unwanted or is a financial burden; an unprofitable investment.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. adj. (Zoöl.) see white elephant in the vocabulary.
  2. Slang Something requiring much care and expense to maintain and yielding little profit, and often difficult to sell; any burdensome possession.

WordNet 3.0

  1. n. a valuable possession whose upkeep is excessively expensive
  2. n. albinic Indian elephant; rare and sometimes venerated in east Asia

Etymologies

  1. In Siam elephants were working animals. However, white (albino) elephants were considered sacred and therefore were not to be put to work. The owner was then left to feed the elephant but could get no work from it. It is said that the King of Siam used to make a present of a white elephant to courtiers he wanted to ruin. (Wiktionary)

Examples

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hypernyms (3)

Words that are more generic or abstract

  1. possession
  1. elephas maximus
  1. Indian elephant

reverse dictionary (2)

Words that contain this word in their definition

  1. ivory
  1. white elephant

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Lists

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Comments

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  • slumry The story is that albino elephants were sacred in Siam, and property of the king. The king gave them to people whom he wanted to ruin financially: the person had to feed and take care of the animal, but could not realize any financial gain from it. Or so I heard.

    So a white elephant is something of value that is hard to get rid of.

    Jun 26, 2007

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‘white elephant’ has been looked up 1473 times, loved by 1 person, added to 12 lists, commented on 1 time, and is not a valid Scrabble word.