mastodon

noun

mas·​to·​don ˈma-stə-ˌdän How to pronounce mastodon (audio)
-dən
1
: any of various extinct mammals (genus Mammut synonym Mastodon) of the elephant family existing from the Miocene through the Pleistocene that are distinguished from the related mammoths chiefly by molar teeth with cone-shaped cusps
2
: one that is unusually large
mastodonic adjective
mastodont adjective or noun

Examples of mastodon in a Sentence

mom-and-pop stores just can't compete with these mastodons of retailing
Recent Examples on the Web Scientists now hope to find more fossils in the area, which could shed light on how and when the mastodons arrived. Reuters, 29 Sep. 2024 Office of the State Archaeologist, Iowa Last year, a tourist on a Northern California beach saw a gigantic one-foot tooth that once belonged to an ancient mastodon. Cara Tabachnick, CBS News, 16 Aug. 2024 Related article Fossil of an ancient shark that swam in the age of dinosaurs solves centuries-long mystery The Columbian mammoth’s tusks are so curved that two could almost make a complete circle, whereas common mastodons’ tusks do not curve nearly as much, Phillips said. Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 17 Aug. 2024 Although woolly mammoths and mastodons often draw most cultural attention, the two species were far from the only elephant ancestors to roam North America. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 14 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for mastodon 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mastodon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin Mastodont-, Mastodon, genus name, Latinization of French mastodonte, vernacular name for the animal, from Greek mastós "breast, nipple" (probably from a pre-Greek substratal language) + French -odonte -odont; so named from the nipple-like cusps on the crowns of the molar teeth

First Known Use

1811, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mastodon was in 1811

Dictionary Entries Near mastodon

Cite this Entry

“Mastodon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mastodon. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

mastodon

noun
mast·​odon
ˈmas-tə-ˌdän,
-dən
: any of various huge extinct mammals related to the mammoths and existing elephants

More from Merriam-Webster on mastodon

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!