Literary notes about pachyderm (AI summary)
Literary usage of the word "pachyderm" covers a broad palette of meanings, from affectionate personification to humorous metaphor and scientific label. In some works, the term vividly describes a noble animal imbued with both majesty and devotion—as in the depiction of an elephant loyally following her master [1]—while in others it highlights the creature's significant physical presence through references to its thick, enduring skin [2] or its massive, fossilized form [3], [4]. The word is also employed playfully, characterizing a clumsy or stubborn figure with a gentle, if teasing, tone [5], [6], and even as a simile to convey monumental weight or cumbersome movement [7]. Such varied usage underscores its versatility, as it adapts effortlessly to contexts ranging from epic natural narratives to lighthearted social commentary.
- And Imogene, the elephant, a faithful and adoring pachyderm, pursued her lord and master into the sea.
— from The Skipper and the Skipped: Being the Shore Log of Cap'n Aaron Sproul by Holman Day - Pachyderm, a non-ruminant animal, characterized by the thickness of its skin.
— from A Manual of the Antiquity of Man by J. P. (John Patterson) MacLean - The bones in question, however, turned out to belong to the great American fossil pachyderm, the Mastodon giganteus .
— from Traditions, Superstitions and Folk-lore
(Chiefly Lancashire and the North of England:) Their Affinity to Others in Widely-Distributed Localities; Their Eastern Origin and Mythical Significance. by Charles Hardwick - An extinct pachyderm that flourished when the Pterodactyl was in fashion.
— from The Cynic's Word Book by Ambrose Bierce - He was such a funny old pachyderm, a kind of clown among his brethren, but as gentle as a kitten.
— from The Adventures of Kathlyn by Harold MacGrath - Why, you poor, pitiful, pusillanimous old pachyderm, if the boy has dishonored you he has honored himself.
— from Kindred of the Dust by Peter B. (Peter Bernard) Kyne - They were passing on silent as spectres, the tread of the ponderous pachyderm being noiseless as that of a cat.
— from The Vee-Boers: A Tale of Adventure in Southern Africa by Mayne Reid