porpoise

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noun por·poise \ˈpȯr-pəs\

Definition of porpoise

1 : any of a family (Phocoenidae) of small gregarious toothed whales; especially : a blunt-snouted usually dark gray whale (Phocoena phocoena) of the North Atlantic and North Pacific that typically ranges from 5 to 6 feet (1.5 to 1.8 meters) in length
2 : dolphin 1a(1) —not used technically ◆While not closely related, porpoises and dolphins share a physical resemblance that often leads to misidentification. Porpoises typically have flat, spade-shaped teeth, triangular dorsal fins, and shortened beaks with relatively small mouths while dolphins have cone-shaped teeth, curved dorsal fins, and elongated beaks with larger mouths.

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Recent Examples of porpoise from the Web

Kompanje had been planning an MRI for the porpoises.

— the washington post, The Denver Post, "Dutch fishermen caught a rare two-headed sea creature. What happened next horrified researcher.", 15 June 2017
Garbage, often. Porpoises, sometimes, for the shores of the Netherlands are teeming with hundreds of thousands of them.

— the washington post, The Denver Post, "Dutch fishermen caught a rare two-headed sea creature. What happened next horrified researcher.", 15 June 2017
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature states that incidental catch is the biggest threat facing porpoises.

— henk tanis, National Geographic, "Two-Headed Porpoise Found For First Time", 14 June 2017
The actor met with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto on Wednesday in an effort to save a nearly extinct porpoise known as the vaquita.

— chloe melas, CNN, "Leonardo DiCaprio to the rescue", 8 June 2017
Aimed at protecting the vaquita porpoise that is endemic to the upper gulf, the measure includes compensation payments to local fishermen in Baja California and neighboring Sonora.

— sandra dibble, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Mexico extends temporary vaquita protection measures", 1 June 2017
A dozen porpoises swam past, between the near ship and the shore.

— david owen, The New Yorker, "The World Is Running Out of Sand", 29 May 2017
Vaquita porpoises are often caught in the nets, causing their population to drop to about 30.

— elliot spagat, The Seattle Times, "Charges shed light on sea cucumber smuggling at US border", 19 May 2017
Porpoises accompanied our cruise through the Indian River Lagoon to Ponce Inlet at the northern tip of the barrier island.

— nancy moreland, Orlando Signature, "New Smyrna Beach", 19 May 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of porpoise

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

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First Known Use: 14th century

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