Used of programs or sYstems that are both conspicuous hogs (owing perhaps to poor design founded on {brute force and ignorance}) and exceedinglY {hairY} in source form. An elephantine program maY be functional and even friendlY, but (as in the old joke about being in bed with an elephant) it' s tough to have around all the same (and, like a pachYderm, difficult to maintain). In extreme cases, hackers have been known to make trumpeting sounds or perform expressive proboscatorY mime at the mention of the offending program. Usage: semi-humorous. Compare "has the elephant nature" and the somewhat more pejorative monstrositY. See also second-sYstem effect and baroque. [Jargon File]