dolphin

noun

dol·phin | \ˈdäl-fən,

ˈdȯl-\

Definition of dolphin

1a : any of various small marine toothed whales (family Delphinidae) with the snout more or less elongated into a beak and the neck vertebrae partially fused

Note: While not closely related, dolphins and porpoises share a physical resemblance that often leads to misidentification. Dolphins typically have cone-shaped teeth, curved dorsal fins, and elongated beaks with large mouths, while porpoises have flat, spade-shaped teeth, triangular dorsal fins, and shortened beaks with smaller mouths.

b : any of several related chiefly freshwater toothed whales (as of the families Platanistidae and Iniidae) : river dolphin

2 : dolphinfish

3 capitalized : delphinus

4 : a spar or buoy for mooring boats also : a cluster of closely driven piles used as a fender for a dock or as a mooring or guide for boats

Examples of dolphin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And, most crucially, bats - unlike dolphins and pigeons - cannot be trained to follow orders. — Lucy Cooke, ajc, "US military is interested in bats as possible defenders against bioweapons," 3 July 2018 The debris entangles and kills all sorts of sea animals, including turtles, dolphins, and whales, and breaks down into microscopic particles that are consumed by fish and filter feeders like mussels and oysters. — NBC News, "The Pacific Ocean has a plastic problem. Here's the bold plan to fix it," 21 Apr. 2018 The dolphin shows and the water-skiing reeled her in immediately on family trips in the '70s. — Craig Hlavaty, Houston Chronicle, "Sea-Arama in Galveston was an island attraction for decades," 11 July 2018 Two dolphins appear to have been released together. — Fox News, "Video: Rescuers save 9 stranded dolphins off Cape Cod coast," 10 July 2018 On a day off, the team visited the city's dolphin park, one of the most famous in the region. — Tales Azzoni And Tim Booth, chicagotribune.com, "Sunny Sochi turns into World Cup playground," 25 June 2018 Napoli’s Arkadiusz Milik gave his side a scare by slipping and falling in a puddle whilst visiting an aquarium for dolphins. — SI.com, "World Cup Preview: Poland vs Columbia - Recent Form, Key Battle, Team News, Prediction & More," 23 June 2018 The park already has several other similar experiences like the dolphin encounter and killer whales up close tour. — Lori Weisberg, sandiegouniontribune.com, "SeaWorld debuts up-close encounters with otters, seals, flamingos — for a charge," 20 June 2018 If single-use plastic straws are taking hundreds of years to break down in the environment, doing nothing beyond choking dolphins in the process, why not ban them? — Caille Millner, SFChronicle.com, "A splash of cold water on straw-ban fervor: Many people with disabilities need them," 13 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dolphin.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.