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- Dictionarywhite elephant/ˌwʌɪt ˈɛlɪf(ə)nt/
noun
- 1. a possession that is useless or troublesome, especially one that is expensive to maintain or difficult to dispose of: "a huge white elephant of a house that needed ten thousand spent on it"
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something that is expensive, or that costs a lot of money to keep in good condition, but that has no useful purpose and is no longer wanted: She believes the development may become a white elephant that fails to attract suitable tenants. The Olympic committee discourages host cities from building sports venues that turn into costly white elephants.
The British East Africa Company came to regard Uganda as a white elephant when internal conflict made administration of the territory impossible. The term derives from the sacred white elephants kept by Southeast Asian monarchs in Burma, Thailand (Siam), Laos and Cambodia. [2]
The meaning of WHITE ELEPHANT is an Asian elephant of a pale color that is sometimes venerated in India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Myanmar. Did you know?
What's the meaning of the phrase 'A white elephant'? Originally ‘white elephants’ were simply that – elephants that were white. Later, the expression came to mean ‘a burdensome possession – one that is more trouble than it is worth’.
White elephant definition: a possession unwanted by the owner but difficult to dispose of. See examples of WHITE ELEPHANT used in a sentence.
The idiom “white elephant” is a commonly used expression in English language, which refers to an object or possession that is expensive to maintain or useless. The origins of this idiom can be traced back to ancient cultures where white elephants were considered sacred animals.
Nov 2, 2023 · "A white elephant" refers to a possession which is expensive to maintain, not very useful, and difficult to get rid of. What Does "A White Elephant" Mean? The idiom "a white elephant" is a phrase that describes something that, although valuable or unique, is also a burden or costly to keep.
Definition of white elephant noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
white elephant. noun. [usually singular] a thing that is useless and no longer needed, although it may have cost a lot of money The new office building has become an expensive white elephant. From the story that in Siam (now Thailand) the king would give a white elephant as a present to someone that he did not like.
noun. 1. a rare albino or pale grey variety of the Indian elephant, regarded as sacred in parts of S Asia. 2. a possession that is unwanted by its owner. 3. an elaborate venture, construction, etc, that proves useless. 4. a rare or valuable possession the upkeep of which is very expensive. Collins English Dictionary.
