Elephant ear

Besides its literal meaning (the ear of an elephant), elephant ear can mean:

Botanical

• a plant similar in shape to the ear on the head of an elephant (a plant whose large, thick leaves are shaped like an elephant's ear).
  • Several related genera in the family Araceae (Arums):
    • Alocasia, occurring in Tropical & Subtropical Asia to Eastern Australia and widely cultivated in Oceania and South America.
    • Caladium, ornamental plants with arrowhead-shaped leaves originally from South America but widely cultivated
    • Colocasia (taro), native to tropical Polynesia and southeastern Asia.
    • Xanthosoma, a native of tropical America with several species being grown for their starchy corms, an important food staple
  • The immature (first year) form of the temperate Old World biennial plant, burdock, a thistle in the genus Arctium
  • A name for the central Asian plant genus Bergenia, especially Bergenia crassifolia, in the family Saxifragaceae which is widely cultivated as a shade-loving flowering garden plant in temperate zones.

Other

• External ducting added to some diesel locomotives to lower the radiator air intake, to prevent hot exhaust gases from leading locomotives entering the cooling systems of trailing locomotives in tunnels and showsheds. Largely abandoned in favor of "tunnel motors", locomotives such as the EMD SD40T-2 and EMD SD45T-2 with lower intakes integrated into the hood.
• A pastry palmier, often eaten with cinnamon or fruit topping
• Another name for fried dough
• A colonial ascidian - Gynandrocarpa placenta