elephant: the symbol of the Republican Party; introduced in cartoons by Thomas Nast in 1874
entity: that which is perceived or known or inferred to have its own distinct existence (living or nonliving)
oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy: a form of muscular dystrophy that usually begins between early adulthood and middle age and first affects muscles of the eyelid and throat; progresses slowly with swallowing problems common as the disease progresses; inheritance is autosomal dominant