porcupine

4 definitions found

porcupine - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Porcupine \Por"cu*pine\, n. [OE. porkepyn, porpentine, OF.
     porc-espi, F. porc-['e]pic (cf. It. porco spino, porco
     spinoso, Sp. puerco espino, puerco espin, fr. L. porcus swine
     + spina thorn, spine). The last part of the French word is
     perhaps a corruption from the It. or Sp.; cf. F. ['e]pi ear,
     a spike of grain, L. spica. See Pork, Spike a large nail,
     Spine.]
     1. (Zool.) Any Old Word rodent of the genus Hystrix, having
        the back covered with long, sharp, erectile spines or
        quills, sometimes a foot long. The common species of
        Europe and Asia (Hystrix cristata) is the best known.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Zool.) Any species of Erethizon and related genera,
        native of America. They are related to the true
        porcupines, but have shorter spines, and are arboreal in
        their habits. The Canada porcupine (Erethizon dorsatus)
        is a well known species.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Porcupine ant-eater (Zool.), the echidna.
  
     Porcupine crab (Zool.), a large spiny Japanese crab
        (Acantholithodes hystrix).
  
     Porcupine disease (Med.). See Ichthyosis.
  
     Porcupine fish (Zool.), any plectognath fish having the
        body covered with spines which become erect when the body
        is inflated. See Diodon, and Globefish.
  
     Porcupine grass (Bot.), a grass (Stipa spartea) with
        grains bearing a stout twisted awn, which, by coiling and
        uncoiling through changes in moisture, propels the
        sharp-pointed and barbellate grain into the wool and flesh
        of sheep. It is found from Illinois westward. See
        Illustration in Appendix.
  
     Porcupine wood (Bot.), the hard outer wood of the cocoa
        palm; -- so called because, when cut horizontally, the
        markings of the wood resemble the quills of a porcupine.
        [1913 Webster]

porcupine - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  porcupine
      n 1: relatively large rodents with sharp erectile bristles
           mingled with the fur [syn: porcupine, hedgehog]

porcupine - U.S. Gazetteer (1990) :

  Porcupine, SD (CDP, FIPS 51340)
    Location: 43.27197 N, 102.33289 W
    Population (1990): 783 (175 housing units)
    Area: 24.5 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
    Zip code(s): 57772

porcupine - Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 :

  29 Moby Thesaurus words for "porcupine":
     Cape polecat, ape, bar, bear, cavy, chimp, chimpanzee, coon,
     ferret, foumart, glutton, groundhog, guinea pig, hedgehog, monk,
     monkey, mousehound, opossum, polecat, possum, prairie dog,
     quill pig, raccoon, skunk, weasel, whistle-pig, wolverine,
     woodchuck, zoril