Meanings
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1
noun
a small toothed whale of the family Phocoenidae, typically with a blunt snout
A harbour porpoise surfaced briefly beside the boat.
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2
verb
to move through water in a series of shallow leaps above the surface
The dolphins porpoised alongside the ship's bow.
Thesaurus
Etymology
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.