porpoise

¹por·poise

noun \ˈpȯr-pəs\

Definition of PORPOISE

1

: any of a family (Phocoenidae) of small gregarious toothed whales; especially : a blunt-snouted usually largely black whale (Phocoena phocoena) of the North Atlantic and North Pacific that is five to eight feet (1.5 to 2.4 meters) long

2

: dolphin 1a(1)

Origin of PORPOISE

Middle English porpoys, from Anglo-French porpeis, from Medieval Latin porcopiscis, from Latin porcus pig + piscis fish — more at farrow, fish

First Known Use: 14th century

Other Mammals Terms

dormouse, dugong, gibbon, grimalkin, sable, stoat, ungulate, vole

Rhymes with PORPOISE

corpus

²porpoise

intransitive verb

Definition of PORPOISE

1

: to leap or plunge like a porpoise <penguins…porpoise out of the water — David Lewis>

2

: to rise and fall repeatedly

First Known Use of PORPOISE

1909

porpoise

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Any toothed whale in the family Phocoenidae (or, by some authorities, part of the dolphin family Delphinidae). The four species (genus Phocoena) of the common, or harbour, porpoise are primarily fish eaters that travel in pairs or large groups. They are gray or black above and white below. The shy P. phocoena, found throughout the Northern Hemisphere, rarely leaps. The other species of Phocoena are found along Californian and South American coasts. The active, gregarious Dall porpoise (Phocoenoides dalli) of the North Pacific and the True porpoise (P. truei) of Japan often swim with ships, usually in groups of 2 to 20. Both eat cephalopods and fishes and are black with a large white patch on each side. The black finless porpoise (Neomeris phocoenoides), a small, slow animal, inhabits the Pacific and Indian oceans. At most 7 ft (2 m) long, porpoises are shorter and chubbier than dolphins and have a blunt snout. Like the dolphins, they are known for their high intelligence.