Meanings
eland1
plural elands
- A genus of large South African antelope (Taurotragus), valued both for its hide and flesh.First known use late 18th c.
As a matter of fact, however, I had never seen an eland in a wild state before.
1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC1 more example
You almost forget you're in Africa. But suddenly you remember when a big eland goes trudging off from beside the road.
1966, Bruce Brown, director, The Endless SummerSynonyms: impofu, Oreas, Oreas canna
Eland2
Eland3
- A village in Shawano County, Wisconsin, United States.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA genus of large South African antelope (Taurotragus), valued both for its hide and flesh.
Origin
eland · noun
- Middle High Germanelen
- Germanelend
- Middle Dutchelant
- Dutcheland“elk”
- Afrikaanseland
- Englisheland
Borrowed from Afrikaans eland, from Dutch eland (“elk”), from Middle Dutch elant, from obsolete early modern German elend, from Middle High German elen, see German Elen for more. Doublet of elk.
More words from Afrikaans, Dutch, Middle Dutch
Full word history & related roots →Eland · proper noun
- DutchEland
- Old Englishealand“cultivated land by a river”
- EnglishEland
Various etymologies: * English habitational surname, from the town of Elland, in West Yorkshire, or from the village of Ealand, in North Lincolnshire, all of which derive from Old English ealand (“cultivated land by a river”). * Borrowed from Dutch Eland, a personal name composed of adel (“noble”) + land (“land”).
More words from Old English, Dutch
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans eland
- elandgenus of antelope
Arabic عَلَنْد
- عَلَنْد (ʕaland)genus of antelope
Finnish hirviantiloopit
- hirviantiloopitgenus of antelope
French éland
- élandgenus of antelope
German Elenantilope
- Elenantilopegenus of antelope
Irish éalann
- éalanngenus of antelope
Italian antilope alcina
- antilope alcinagenus of antelope
Japanese エランド
- エランド (erando)genus of antelope
Korean 일런드
- 일런드 (illeondeu)genus of antelope
Spanish eland
- elandgenus of antelope
Swahili pofu, mbungu
- pofugenus of antelope
- mbungugenus of antelope
Zulu impofu
- impofugenus of antelope
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with eland
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
eland. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eland
“eland.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eland. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “eland,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eland.
Source: eland on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.