por·poise
(pôr′pəs)n. pl. porpoise or por·pois·es
1. Any of various marine toothed whales of the genus Phocoena and related genera, characteristically having a blunt snout and a triangular dorsal fin. Porpoises are placed either in their own family, Phocoenidae, or with the dolphins in the family Delphinidae.
2. Any of several related aquatic mammals, such as the dolphins.
[Middle English porpeis, from Old French (probably translation of a Germanic compound meaning sea-pig) : porc, pig (from Latin porcus; see porko- in Indo-European roots) + peis, fish (from Latin piscis).]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
porpoise
(ˈpɔːpəs)n, pl -poises or -poise
1. (Animals) any of various small cetacean mammals of the genus Phocaena and related genera, having a blunt snout and many teeth: family Delphinidae (or Phocaenidae)
2. (Animals) (not in technical use) any of various related cetaceans, esp the dolphin
[C14: from French pourpois, from Medieval Latin porcopiscus (from Latin porcus pig + piscis fish), replacing Latin porcus marīnus sea pig]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
por•poise
(ˈpɔr pəs)n., pl. (esp. collectively) -poise, (esp. for kinds or species) -pois•es, n.
1. any of certain toothed cetaceans of the family Delphinidae having a blunt, rounded snout, esp. of the genus Phocoena, as the common porpoise, P. phocoena, of the Atlantic and Pacific. Compare dolphin.
v.i. 2. (of a speeding motorboat) to leap clear of the water after striking a wave.
3. (of a vehicle) to move forward with an alternately rising and falling motion.
[1275–1325; Middle English porpoys < Middle French porpois < Vulgar Latin *porcopiscis hog fish, for Latin porcus marīnus sea hog]
por′poise•like`, adj.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
por·poise
(pôr′pəs) Any of several small, toothed whales having a blunt snout and a triangular dorsal fin. Compare dolphin.
The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
| Noun | 1. |  porpoise - any of several small gregarious cetacean mammals having a blunt snout and many teethdolphin - any of various small toothed whales with a beaklike snout; larger than porpoises genus Phocoena, Phocoena - porpoises harbor porpoise, herring hog, Phocoena phocoena - the common porpoise of the northern Atlantic and Pacific Phocoena sinus, vaquita - a short porpoise that lives in the Gulf of California; an endangered species |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
porpoise
nounCollins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Translations
دُلْفين، خَنْزير البَحْر
sviňucha
marsvin
pyöriäinen
hnísa
돌고래
jūrų kiaulė
jūrascūka, cūkdelfīns
morświn
sviňucha
domuz balığı
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
porpoise
n → Tümmler m
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
porpoise
(ˈpoːpəs) noun a type of blunt-nosed sea animal of the dolphin family.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.