Porpoise

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈpɔːpəs/

Definitions

1. An aquatic mammal related to dolphins, characterized by a rounded body, a blunt snout, and living primarily in shallow coastal areas
2. A marine creature of the cetacean family, recognizable by its distinctively rounded shape and sociable nature, often seen in shallower waters
3. A small marine mammal similar to a dolphin, known for its short beak and smooth, rounded body

Etymology: Sailors once called this animal a "sea hog," and the name stuck to it in French, English and several other languages. Old French "pourpois" came from Vulgar Latin "porcopiscis," a compound of Latin "porcus" (pig) and "piscis" (fish), so the word literally meant "hog-fish." Latin speakers had already used "porcus marinus," or "sea hog," for the same creature, and the Italians and Portuguese built similar compounds in "pesce porco" and "peixe porco." English borrowed the word from Anglo-Norman in the Middle Ages, and it displaced an older native name, "brunswyn." German and English have a parallel pair in "Meerschwein" and "mereswine," both meaning "sea swine," which came from a Frankish word for the same animal. So the pig comparison is a shared European idea, not one peculiar to English.

Synonyms: dolphin