Definitions for Porpoise
ˈpɔr pəspor·poise

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. porpoisenoun

   any of several small gregarious cetacean mammals having a blunt snout and many teeth

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. porpoisenoun

   A small cetacean of the family Phocoenidae, related to whales and dolphins.

2. porpoisenoun

   Any small dolphin.

3. porpoiseverb

   Said of an aircraft: to make a series of plunges when taking off or landing.

4. Etymology: From porpeys, purpeys, from porpeis, purpeis, pourpois, pourpais, porpeis, from *, from porcus + piscis. Compare (in transposed order) obsolete pesce porco and peixe porco; also porcus marinus, akin in formation to Meerschwein, mereswine. More at mereswine.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Porpoise, Porpusnoun

   The sea-hog.

   Etymology: porc poisson, Fr.

   Amphibious animals link the terrestrial and aquatick together; seals live at land and at sea, and porpoises have the warm blood and entrails of a hog. John Locke.

   Parch’d with unextinguish’d thirst,
   Small beer I guzzle till I burst;
   And then I drag a bloated corpus
   Swell’d with a dropsy like a porpus. Jonathan Swift.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Porpoise

   Porpoises are a group of fully aquatic marine mammals, all of which are classified under the family Phocoenidae, parvorder Odontoceti (toothed whales). Although similar in appearance to dolphins, they are more closely related to narwhals and belugas than to the true dolphins. There are eight extant species of porpoise, all among the smallest of the toothed whales. Porpoises are distinguished from dolphins by their flattened, spade-shaped teeth distinct from the conical teeth of dolphins, and lack of a pronounced beak, although some dolphins (e.g. Hector's dolphin) also lack a pronounced beak. Porpoises, and other cetaceans, belong to the clade Cetartiodactyla with even-toed ungulates. Porpoises range in size from the vaquita, at 1.4 metres (4 feet 7 inches) in length and 54 kilograms (119 pounds) in weight, to the Dall's porpoise, at 2.3 m (7 ft 7 in) and 220 kg (490 lb). Several species exhibit sexual dimorphism in that the females are larger than males. They have streamlined bodies and two limbs that are modified into flippers. Porpoises use echolocation as their primary sensory system. Some species are well adapted for diving to great depths. As all cetaceans, they have a layer of fat, or blubber, under the skin to keep them warm in cold water. Porpoises are abundant and found in a multitude of environments, including rivers (finless porpoise), coastal and shelf waters (harbour porpoise, vaquita) and open ocean (Dall's porpoise and spectacled porpoise), covering all water temperatures from tropical (Sea of Cortez, vaquita) to polar (Greenland, harbour porpoise). Porpoises feed largely on fish and squid, much like the rest of the odontocetes. Little is known about reproductive behaviour. Females may get one calf every year under favourable conditions. Calves are typically born in the spring and summer months and remain dependent on the female until the following spring. Porpoises produce ultrasonic clicks, which are used for both navigation (echolocation) and social communication. In contrast to many dolphin species, porpoises do not form large social groups. Porpoises were, and still are, hunted by some countries by means of drive hunting. Larger threats to porpoises include extensive bycatch in gill nets, competition for food from fisheries, and marine pollution, in particular heavy metals and organochlorides. The vaquita is nearly extinct due to bycatch in gill nets, with a predicted population of fewer than a dozen individuals. Since the extinction of the baiji, the vaquita is considered the most endangered cetacean. Some species of porpoises have been and are kept in captivity and trained for research, education and public display.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. porpoise

   A porpoise is a small aquatic mammal belonging to the family Phocoenidae which is distinguished from dolphins by its teeth which are spade-shaped rather than conical, its rounder body shape and its smaller size. Like dolphins, they are intelligent, have a streamlined shape and a dorsal fin. They are found in oceans and seas around the world, usually in colder waters and are known for their ability to leap out of water, a behavior known as porpoising.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Porpoisenoun

   any small cetacean of the genus Phocaena, especially P. communis, or P. phocaena, of Europe, and the closely allied American species (P. Americana). The color is dusky or blackish above, paler beneath. They are closely allied to the dolphins, but have a shorter snout. Called also harbor porpoise, herring hag, puffing pig, and snuffer

2. Porpoisenoun

   a true dolphin (Delphinus); -- often so called by sailors

3. Etymology: [OE. porpeys, OF. porpeis, literally, hog fish, from L. porcus swine + piscis fish. See Pork, and Fish.]

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Porpoise

   Porpoises are small cetaceans of the family Phocoenidae; they are related to whales and dolphins. They are distinct from dolphins, although the word "porpoise" has been used to refer to any small dolphin, especially by sailors and fishermen. The most obvious visible difference between the two groups is that porpoises have shorter beaks and flattened, spade-shaped teeth distinct from the conical teeth of dolphins. The name derives from French pourpois, possibly from Medieval Latin porcopiscis

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Porpoise

   por′pus, n. a genus of Cetecea in the family Delphinidæ, 4 to 8 feet long, gregarious, affording oil and leather—anciently Por′pess. [O. Fr. porpeis—L. porcus, a hog, piscis, a fish.]

Dictionary of Nautical TermsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. porpoise

   The Phocœna communis. One of the smallest of the cetacean or whale order, common in the British seas.

Matched Categories

1. • Dolphin

How to pronounce Porpoise?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

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   Mark

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   Daniel

   British

   Libby

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   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

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   Priya

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   Neerja

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   Zira

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   Oliver

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   Wendy

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   Fred

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   South African

How to say Porpoise in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of Porpoise in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of Porpoise in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of Porpoise in a Sentence

1. Blaine Shelton:

   I already saw the fin, and I knew it was n’t a porpoise.

2. Jiang Meng:

   It has now been scientifically proven that the Yangtze porpoise is a unique species, if it isn't protected well, the Chinese government will be under pressure.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=Porpoise
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Porpoise
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=Porpoise
4. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porpoise
5. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
6. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Porpoise
7. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=Porpoise
8. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=Porpoise
9. ^ Dictionary of Nautical Terms
   https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/26000/pg26000-images.html#:~:text=Porpoise