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Webster 1913 Edition

Porpoise

Por′poise

,
Noun.
[OE.
porpeys
, OF.
porpeis
, literally, hog fish, from L.
porcus
swine +
piscis
fish. See
Pork
, and
Fish
.]
1.
(Zool.)
Any small cetacean of the genus
Phocæna
, especially
Phocæna communis
, or
Phocæna phocæna
, of Europe, and the closely allied American species (
Phocæna Americana
). The color is dusky or blackish above, paler beneath. They are closely allied to the dolphins, but have a shorter snout. Called also
harbor porpoise
,
herring hag
,
puffing pig
, and
snuffer
.
2.
(Zool.)
A true dolphin (
Delphinus
); – often so called by sailors.
Skunk porpoise
, or
Bay porpoise
(Zool.)
,
a North American porpoise (
Lagenorhynchus acutus
), larger than the common species, and with broad stripes of white and yellow on the sides. See Illustration in Appendix.

Definition 2024

porpoise

porpoise

English

Phocoena phocoena (1)

Noun

porpoise ‎(plural porpoises)

  1. A small cetacean of the family Phocoenidae, related to whales and dolphins.
  2. (Canada, US, imprecisely) Any small dolphin.

Synonyms

Translations

Verb

porpoise ‎(third-person singular simple present porpoises, present participle porpoising, simple past and past participle porpoised)

  1. (intransitive) Said of an aircraft: to make a series of plunges when taking off or landing.

See also

Etymology

From Middle English porpeys, purpeys, from Anglo-Norman porpeis, purpeis, Old French pourpois, pourpais, porpeis ‎(“porpoise”), from Vulgar Latin *porcopiscis ‎(“porpoise”, literally “pig-fish”), from Latin porcus ‎(“pig”) + piscis ‎(“fish”). Compare (in transposed order) obsolete Italian pesce porco and Portuguese peixe porco; also Latin porcus marinus ‎(“sea hog”), akin in formation to German Meerschwein, English mereswine. More at mereswine.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈpɔːpəs/, /pɔːˈpɔɪs/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈpɔːɹpəs/
  • Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)pəs, -ɔɪs

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