elephantophile

English

Etymology

From elephant +‎ -o- +‎ -phile.

Noun

elephantophile (plural elephantophiles)

1. One who loves elephants.
   • 1929, Time, page 64:

     But more and most he enjoyed, as he always does, going down to see the elephants; finding Babe, his favorite elephant; patting her, complimenting her, feeding her bread, peanuts, carrots. A bachelor, Mr. Brush is a consistent elephantophile.

   • 1953 September 24, Norm Hacking, “Best Known Coast Skipper On Last Voyage”, in The Vancouver Province, 56th year, number 152, Vancouver, B.C., page 27:

     The crew of the States Steamship Line’s SS. Washington, now in port, are all elephantophiles … (elephant-lovers to you).

   • 1976, Mother Jones, page 42:

     He prefers the company of elephantophiles because elephants are his favorite topic of conversation, although Ada’s family, including the cats, once rolled up at Bucky’s for an extended visit.

   • 1980 March 23, “King Elephant Is in the Swim”, in The Atlanta Journal and Constitution Magazine, volume 30, number 91, Atlanta, Ga., page 10:

     Call the Kings elephantophiles, a condition that began February 12, 1964, with a four-foot-high plush elephant named Twinkles.

   • 1986, T. H. Clarke, The Rhinoceros from Dürer to Stubbs, 1515-1799, Sotheby’s Publications, page 157:

     There is, perhaps fortunately for elephantophiles, no graphic record of this shameful scene, which did nothing to discourage belief in the accepted classical myth.

   • 1988 February 4, Debates: Official Report (Hansard), Canada, Parliament, Senate, page 2647:

     Now, the elephant and the mouse. Senator Cogger obviously is an “elephantophile”—he loves elephants. I have a weakness for mice.

   • 2007, Letizia Gaeta, La scultura meridionale in età moderna nei suoi rapporti con la circolazione mediterranea, page 308:

     For Sigismondo’s nearest rival as an elephantophile monarch was to be King Manuel the Fortunate of Portugal (1495-1521).