Elmo

See also: elmo

English

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɛlmoʊ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Etymology 1

From an Italian contraction of Erasmo, cognate with Erasmus. Also a German short form of Elmar.

• By folk etymology seen as a short form of Elmer.

Proper noun

Elmo

1. A male given name from Italian.
   • 1996 Chay Yew, A Language of Their Own, Two Plays, Grove/Atlantic Inc.:

     MING. About his name. Oscar. Asians always pick out the most curious and most discarded English names from books and TV. Like Cornelius. Elmo. Wellington.

2. A city in Missouri.
3. An unincorporated community in Texas.
4. A town in Utah.
5. An unincorporated community in Wisconsin.
6. (This is a hot sense, kept provisionally) (derogatory or humorous) A nickname for South African-born tech entrepreneur Elon Musk.

   Synonyms: Apartheid Clyde, Elongated Muskrat, Phony Stark

   • 2022 December 12, marie_cast (@marie_cast@toad.social), Mastodon‎^[1]:

     Twitter was far from perfect before Elmo happened to it but it’s a total shitshow now!

   • 2023 February 8, Jim Stewartson (@jimstewartson@toad.social), Mastodon‎^[2], archived from the original on 6 September 2025:

     It is certainly conceivable that Elmo’s ragtag of leftover desperate engineers put out a feature without properly testing it. 😂

   • 2023 March 19, Alice (@alicek@mas.to), Mastodon‎^[3]:

     Incredible how low Twitter has sunk since Elmo fired the grownups.

Derived terms

• St. Elmo's fire

Translations

male given name

• Arabic: إِلْمُو (ʔilmū), أَلْمُو (ʔalmū)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 埃爾莫 / 埃尔莫 (Āi'ěrmò), 埃爾摩 / 埃尔摩 (Āi'ěrmó)

• Finnish: Elmo (fi)
• Japanese: エルモ (Erumo)
• Korean: 엘모 (Elmo)
• Polish: Elmo (pl) m pers
• Portuguese: Telmo m
• Russian: Элмо (Elmo)

Etymology 2

Noun

Elmo (plural Elmos)

1. (education, law, genericized trademark) A document camera.
   • 1998 April 21, Joan M. Whitworth, quoting Dr. Kern (pseudonymous), “Looking at Distance Learning through Both Ends of the Camera”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name)‎^[4], ERIC:

     Someone had to tell me when the paper was positioned correctly under the elmo (document camera).

   • 2009, Kate Popejoy, “New Outcomes: Learning Improvement in Mathematics Integrating Technology - NO LIMIT! An Enhancing Education through Technology Project. Final Report: Years Five and Six (2005-2007)”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name)‎^[5], ERIC:

     Students bring their math work under the Elmo to share with other students to discuss their thoughts.

   • 2011, Sally A. Spencer, “Universal Design for Learning: Assistance for Teachers in Today's Inclusive Classrooms”, in Interdisciplinary Journal of Teaching and Learning‎^[6], ERIC:

     The teacher can ask students to categorize the new information on the graphic organizer as they go through the text and the video, and then model this activity on an Elmo or overhead projector during the lesson, thus providing another means of visual support

   • 2010s, “Presenting Evidence”, in Clerk Services‎^[7], United States District Court for the Central District of California, archived from the original on 14 September 2026:

     Courtrooms in the United States District Court for the Central District of California have DVD/VCR equipment and an Electronic Evidence Presenter (sometimes referred to as an "ELMO") for attorneys to use when presenting evidence at trial or evidentiary hearings.

   • 2015 September 8, Robert Hilson, John Facciola, “Judge Facciola: I'm not in the business of supporting an industry”, in Logikcull‎^[8], Logik, archived from the original on 14 September 2026:

     You know, in the courtroom, I used to have a little ELMO (an electronic evidence presenter) machine and there is absolutely nothing simpler than ELMO-ing. You put in the piece of paper and hit a button and the image is projected. But I can't tell you how many lawyers approached the ELMO as if they were approaching a cobra!

Etymology 3

From the character Elmo on Sesame Street.

Noun

Elmo (plural Elmos)

1. A character who is irritating to many but very popular with children, especially a character who joined a show late in its run.
   • 2025 June 6, u/anon, “Jeff Sokol is the Elmo of To Catch a Predator”, in r/tcap‎^[9] (Reddit post), archived from the original on 16 July 2025:

     Jeff Sokol is the Elmo of To Catch a Predator

   • 2012 July 13, Esther Inglis-Arkell, “10 Robots With Good Reasons to Rise Up Against Humanity”, in Gizmodo‎^[10], archived from the original on 20 August 2026:

     That little upended trash can is the Elmo of Star Wars. He’s inexplicably popular despite being intensely irritating.

   • 2012, Frank Heppner, Railroads of Rhode Island: Shaping the Ocean State's Railways‎^[11], History Press:

     The Esmond Mills made baby blankets and, in a stroke of marketing genius, published a little book in 1924 designed to be read aloud to children. Called The Tale of Bunny Esmond, it was about an adorable bunny that was always cold until somebody wrapped him in a Bunny Esmond blanket. By a strange coincidence, Esmond Mills made a baby blanket that had Bunny's image printed on it. Bunny Esmond was the Elmo of his day. The Esmond blankets were softer than most, and in 1943, the author would have killed with his tiny fists anyone who tried to take his Bunny Esmond blanket away from him.

Anagrams

• melo-, Melo, molé, melo, mole, Mole, Lomé, moel

Estonian

Proper noun

Elmo

1. a male given name, equivalent to English Elmo

Finnish

Etymology

From German Elmo, vernacular form of Elmer, or from Italian Elmo, from Erasmo. See English Elmo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈelmo/, [ˈe̞lmo̞]
• Rhymes: -elmo
• Syllabification^(key): El‧mo
• Hyphenation^(key): El‧mo

Proper noun

Elmo

1. a male given name, equivalent to English Elmo

Declension

Inflection of Elmo (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)
nominative		Elmo	Elmot
genitive		Elmon	Elmojen
partitive		Elmoa	Elmoja
illative		Elmoon	Elmoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		Elmo	Elmot
accusative	nom.	Elmo	Elmot
	gen.	Elmon
genitive		Elmon	Elmojen
partitive		Elmoa	Elmoja
inessive		Elmossa	Elmoissa
elative		Elmosta	Elmoista
illative		Elmoon	Elmoihin
adessive		Elmolla	Elmoilla
ablative		Elmolta	Elmoilta
allative		Elmolle	Elmoille
essive		Elmona	Elmoina
translative		Elmoksi	Elmoiksi
abessive		Elmotta	Elmoitta
instructive		—	Elmoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of Elmo (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Elmoni Elmoni accusative nom. Elmoni Elmoni gen. Elmoni genitive Elmoni Elmojeni partitive Elmoani Elmojani inessive Elmossani Elmoissani elative Elmostani Elmoistani illative Elmooni Elmoihini adessive Elmollani Elmoillani ablative Elmoltani Elmoiltani allative Elmolleni Elmoilleni essive Elmonani Elmoinani translative Elmokseni Elmoikseni abessive Elmottani Elmoittani instructive — — comitative — Elmoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Elmosi Elmosi accusative nom. Elmosi Elmosi gen. Elmosi genitive Elmosi Elmojesi partitive Elmoasi Elmojasi inessive Elmossasi Elmoissasi elative Elmostasi Elmoistasi illative Elmoosi Elmoihisi adessive Elmollasi Elmoillasi ablative Elmoltasi Elmoiltasi allative Elmollesi Elmoillesi essive Elmonasi Elmoinasi translative Elmoksesi Elmoiksesi abessive Elmottasi Elmoittasi instructive — — comitative — Elmoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Elmomme Elmomme accusative nom. Elmomme Elmomme gen. Elmomme genitive Elmomme Elmojemme partitive Elmoamme Elmojamme inessive Elmossamme Elmoissamme elative Elmostamme Elmoistamme illative Elmoomme Elmoihimme adessive Elmollamme Elmoillamme ablative Elmoltamme Elmoiltamme allative Elmollemme Elmoillemme essive Elmonamme Elmoinamme translative Elmoksemme Elmoiksemme abessive Elmottamme Elmoittamme instructive — — comitative — Elmoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Elmonne Elmonne accusative nom. Elmonne Elmonne gen. Elmonne genitive Elmonne Elmojenne partitive Elmoanne Elmojanne inessive Elmossanne Elmoissanne elative Elmostanne Elmoistanne illative Elmoonne Elmoihinne adessive Elmollanne Elmoillanne ablative Elmoltanne Elmoiltanne allative Elmollenne Elmoillenne essive Elmonanne Elmoinanne translative Elmoksenne Elmoiksenne abessive Elmottanne Elmoittanne instructive — — comitative — Elmoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative Elmonsa Elmonsa accusative nom. Elmonsa Elmonsa gen. Elmonsa genitive Elmonsa Elmojensa partitive Elmoaan Elmoansa Elmojaan Elmojansa inessive Elmossaan Elmossansa Elmoissaan Elmoissansa elative Elmostaan Elmostansa Elmoistaan Elmoistansa illative Elmoonsa Elmoihinsa adessive Elmollaan Elmollansa Elmoillaan Elmoillansa ablative Elmoltaan Elmoltansa Elmoiltaan Elmoiltansa allative Elmolleen Elmollensa Elmoilleen Elmoillensa essive Elmonaan Elmonansa Elmoinaan Elmoinansa translative Elmokseen Elmoksensa Elmoikseen Elmoiksensa abessive Elmottaan Elmottansa Elmoittaan Elmoittansa instructive — — comitative — Elmoineen Elmoinensa

Statistics

• Elmo is the 261^st most common male given name in Finland, belonging to 1,895 male individuals (and as a middle name to 463 more), according to August 2025 data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of Finland.

Anagrams

• melo

German

Proper noun

Elmo

1. a male given name, equivalent to English Elmo