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

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Water levels on the Danube River, the second longest in Europe, have dropped so low because of drought that the hulks of dozens of World War II German battleships — and even the remains of an ancient woolly mammoth — are emerging into view. — CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026 Indeed, woolly mammoth de-extinction efforts have already spun off discoveries that may help protect captive Asian elephants from a deadly herpes virus. — Taylor Dotson, Scientific American, 10 July 2026 The company became famous for efforts to revive extinct species such as the woolly mammoth and dire wolf. — Dasha Shunina, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026 The former increases excitability and preparedness for movement in response to the tennis equivalent of being assailed by a woolly mammoth. — Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 3 June 2026 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

Browse Nearby Words

woolly locoweed
woolly mammoth
woolly manzanita
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Cite this Entry

“Woolly mammoth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/woolly%20mammoth. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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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

More from Merriam-Webster on woolly mammoth

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about woolly mammoth

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