Meanings
- not comparableMade of gold and ivory.
The chryselephantine papal standard rises high, surrounded by pennons of the civic flag.
1922 February 2, James Joyce, “[Episode 15: Circe]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company […], →OCLC, part II [Odyssey], page 4531 more example
I drew near and perceived that the light came from a precious stone as big as an ostrich egg, set at the upper end of the alcove upon a little chryselephantine couch of ivory and gold; and this jewel, blazing like the sun, cast its rays wide and side.
1885–1888, Richard F[rancis] Burton, transl. and editor, “Night 17”, in A Plain and Literal Translation of the Arabian Nights’ Entertainments, now Entituled The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night […], Shammar edition, volume (please specify the volume), [London]: […] Burton Club […], →OCLC
Origin
- Phoenician𐤇𐤓𐤑 (ḥrṣ)bor.?
- Proto-Hellenic*kʰrusós
- Ancient Greekχρυσός (khrusós)
- Proto-Afroasiatic*leb-
- Egyptianꜣbwbor.?
- Ancient Greekἐλέφας (eléphas)
- Ancient Greekἐλεφάντινος (elephántinos)
- Ancient Greekχρυσελεφάντινος (khruselephántinos)
- Englishchryselephantine
From Ancient Greek χρυσελεφάντινος (khruselephántinos), from χρυσός (khrusós, “gold”) + ἐλεφάντινος (elephántinos, “of ivory”).
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek χρυσελεφάντινος
- χρυσελεφάντινος (khruselephántinos)made of gold and ivory
Catalan criselefantí
- criselefantímade of gold and ivory
Finnish kullasta ja norsunluusta tehty
- kullasta ja norsunluusta tehtymade of gold and ivory
French chryséléphantin
- chryséléphantinmade of gold and ivory
German chryselephantin
- chryselephantinmade of gold and ivory
Greek χρυσελεφάντινος
- χρυσελεφάντινος (chryselefántinos)made of gold and ivory
Italian criselefantino
- criselefantinomade of gold and ivory
Polish but see zrobiony ze złota i kości słoniowej
- but see zrobiony ze złota i kości słoniowejmade of gold and ivory
Portuguese criselefantino
- criselefantinomade of gold and ivory
Russian хрисоэлефанти́нный
- хрисоэлефанти́нный (xrisoelefantínnyj)made of gold and ivory
Spanish criselefantino
- criselefantinomade of gold and ivory
Cite this entry
chryselephantine. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chryselephantine
“chryselephantine.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chryselephantine. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “chryselephantine,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chryselephantine.
Source: chryselephantine on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.