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white elephant

An ornament etc that is unwanted or is a financial burden; an unprofitable investment.

Etymology:

  • In Siam elephants were working animals. However, white elephants were considered sacred and therefore were not to be put to work. The owner was then left to feed the elephant but could get no work from it. It is said that the King of Siam used to make a present of a white elephant to courtiers he wanted to ruin.
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Submitted on September 01, 2009

Additional definitions for 'white elephant':

white elephantAn albino elephant.
White ElephantA useless object, an expensive but useless possession
white elephantSomething you have but useless
See them all »

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Nearby phrases

Some more phrases from our dictionary similar to white elephant

White Housein black and whitewhite magicwhite as driven snowwhite hatwhite mansee the elephantfree, white, and twenty-onewhite manwhite coat hypertensionwhite goodslike white on ricein black and whitelike white on rice

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