porpoise

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a small toothed whale of the family Phocoenidae, typically with a blunt snout

   A harbour porpoise surfaced briefly beside the boat.

2. 2
   verb

   to move through water in a series of shallow leaps above the surface

   The dolphins porpoised alongside the ship's bow.

Simplified etymology

Porpoise came through various French forms from post-classical Latin porcopiscis, literally “hog-fish.” That compound combines Latin porcus, “pig” or “pork,” with piscis, “fish.” Comparable names such as Old English mereswine, “sea-swine,” show that the animal was widely likened to a pig.

From Middle English porpeys, through Anglo-Norman and Old French forms ultimately based on Vulgar Latin porcopiscis, literally "pig-fish," from Latin porcus, "pig," + piscis, "fish." The name reflects the animal's rounded body and earlier names such as sea pig and sea hog.

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary