mastodon
noun
mas·to·don
ˈma-stə-ˌdän 
-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
Synonyms
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 
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
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Cite this Entry
“Mastodon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mastodon. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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