porpoise

3 definitions found

porpoise - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Porpoise \Por"poise\, n. [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 Phoc[ae]na,
        especially Phoc[ae]na communis, or Phoc[ae]na  phoc[ae]na
        , of Europe, and the closely allied American
        species (Phoc[ae]na 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.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Zool.) A true dolphin (Delphinus); -- often so called
        by sailors.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     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.
        [1913 Webster]

porpoise - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  porpoise
      n 1: any of several small gregarious cetacean mammals having a
           blunt snout and many teeth

porpoise - Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 :

  30 Moby Thesaurus words for "porpoise":
     Loch Ness monster, alevin, benthon, benthos, cetacean, dolphin,
     fingerling, fish, fry, game fish, grilse, kipper, man-eater,
     man-eating shark, marine animal, minnow, minny, nekton, panfish,
     plankton, salmon, sea monster, sea pig, sea serpent, sea snake,
     shark, smolt, sponge, tropical fish, whale