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porpoise

por·poise
P p

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [pawr-puh s]
    • /ˈpɔr pəs/
    • /ˈpɔː.pəs/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [pawr-puh s]
    • /ˈpɔr pəs/

Definitions of porpoise word

  • noun plural porpoise any of several small, gregarious cetaceans of the genus Phocoena, usually blackish above and paler beneath, and having a blunt, rounded snout, especially the common porpoise, P. phocoena, of both the North Atlantic and Pacific. 1
  • noun plural porpoise any of several other small cetaceans, as the common dolphin, Delphinus delphis. 1
  • verb without object porpoise (of a speeding motorboat) to leap clear of the water after striking a wave. 1
  • verb without object porpoise (of a torpedo) to appear above the surface of the water. 1
  • verb without object porpoise to move forward with a rising and falling motion in the manner of a porpoise: The car has a tendency to porpoise when overloaded. 1
  • noun porpoise sea mammal 1

Information block about the term

Origin of porpoise

First appearance:

before 1275
One of the 13% oldest English words
1275-1325; Middle English porpoys < Middle French porpois < Vulgar Latin *porcopiscis hog fish, for Latin porcus marīnus sea hog

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Porpoise

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation

porpoise popularity

A pretty common term. Usually people know it’s meaning, but prefer to use a more spread out synonym. About 68% of English native speakers know the meaning and use word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

porpoise usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for porpoise

noun porpoise

  • baleen — whalebone
  • beluga — a large white sturgeon, Acipenser (or Huso) huso, of the Black and Caspian Seas: a source of caviar and isinglass
  • ceta — Comprehensive Employment and Training Act
  • cetacean — Cetaceans are animals such as whales, dolphins, and porpoises.
  • cete — a group of badgers

Top questions with porpoise

  • what is a porpoise?
  • what is the difference between a dolphin and a porpoise?
  • what is the difference between a porpoise and a dolphin?
  • what does porpoise mean?
  • what is porpoise?
  • how to pronounce porpoise?
  • where is porpoise spit?
  • what does a porpoise look like?
  • what is the difference between dolphins and porpoise?
  • what is a porpoise dolphin?
  • how to spell porpoise?
  • how fast can a porpoise swim?
  • what causes a boat to porpoise?
  • what is difference between porpoise and dolphin?
  • what is difference between dolphin and porpoise?

See also

Matching words

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