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Definition of north american porcupine
north american porcupine
Plural:North American porcupines
north american porcupine Lexical Profile
CEFR
C1
Grade
7
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
North American A large, slow-moving, herbivorous rodent native to the coniferous and mixed forests of North America, distinguished by a defensive coat of sharp, barbed quills.
Example
"While hiking through the dense pine forests of Maine, we spotted a North American porcupine slowly climbing a tree to feed on the bark."
• Nearby Words
normativity
norsteroid
north american beaver
north american porcupine
north korea
north macedonia
north saskatchewan
Word Origin & Etymology
The name combines its native geographical region with the word 'porcupine', which comes from Middle French 'porc espin', meaning 'spined pig' or 'thorny pig'.
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of North american porcupine. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 12, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/north american porcupine