white elephant

Definition of White Elephant in English :

1. white elephant

a valuable possession whose upkeep is excessively expensive

2. white elephant

albinic Indian elephant; rare and sometimes venerated in east Asia

WordNet Lexical Database for English. Princeton University. 2010.

White Elephant

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

1.

an albino elephant

2.

something from which little profit or use is derived; esp., such a possession maintained at much expense

3. US

any object no longer desired by its owner, but of possible value to others

n.

1. A rare whitish or light-gray form of the Asian elephant, often considered sacred in parts of South and Southeast Asia.

2. A possession that provides few benefits and is an inconvenience or a financial burden to maintain.