Definition of porcupine
porcupines
alsoporcupine
: any of various relatively large slow-moving chiefly herbivorous rodents having sharp erectile spines mingled with the hair and constituting an Old World terrestrial family (Hystricidae) and a New World chiefly arboreal family (Erethizontidae)
From the M-W Editors
Recent Examples of porcupine from the Web
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Each contrada is represented by a mascot (porcupine, unicorn, she-wolf, and so on) and a distinctive flag — colors worn and flown all year long, but omnipresent as the race nears.
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While the boys took in the view at Glacier — its massive glaciers shrouded in glistening white snow — porcupines chewed flat all four of the hearse’s tires.
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Two 20kg nocturnal porcupines had been tracked to their tunnel system in a termite mound.
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My family has lived in our suburban home for seven years, and from the minute a few neighbors whispered that the former tenant died in our house, I’ve been bristled up like a porcupine.
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An empty porcupine pen provides a temporary safe haven.
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Comments range from photos of hedgehogs and porcupines to photos from Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century.
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Comments range from photos of hedgehogs and porcupines to photos of Zenon.
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Our kids need to see a skunk or a porcupine in the wild.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'porcupine.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Illustration of porcupine
Origin and Etymology of porcupine
Middle English porke despyne, from Middle French porc espin, from Old Italian porcospino, from Latin porcus pig + spina spine, prickle
Porcupine
Definition of Porcupine
river 448 miles (721 kilometers) long in northern Yukon and northeastern Alaska flowing north and west into the Yukon River
PORCUPINE Defined for English Language Learners
porcupine
playDefinition of porcupine for English Language Learners
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: a small animal that has very stiff, sharp parts (called quills) all over its body
PORCUPINE Defined for Kids
porcupine
playDefinition of porcupine for Students
: a gnawing slow-moving animal that is a large rodent and has stiff sharp quills among its hairs
History for porcupine
The porcupine is certainly not a source of pork, but the word pork and the porc- in the word porcupine both come ultimately from Latin porcus, “pig, hog.” Porcupine was modified from a compound word in Romance languages such as medieval French porc espin, literally, “spiny pig.” (The espin part comes from Latin spina, “thorn, spine.”)
Learn More about porcupine
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See words that rhyme with porcupine Spanish Central: Translation of porcupine Nglish: Translation of porcupine for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of porcupine for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about porcupine
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