porpoise
porpoise Lexical Profile
porpoise Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Any of several small, toothed marine mammals of the family Phocoenidae, native to coastal waters and oceans worldwide, distinguished by their blunt snouts, spade-shaped teeth, and stocky bodies.
"We watched a small pod of harbor porpoises swim alongside the ferry as we crossed the bay."
• verb
To leap in and out of the water in a continuous sequence of short, shallow dives, typical of the swimming pattern of marine mammals and certain penguins.
"The penguins were porpoising through the icy waves to gain speed and escape a pursuing leopard seal."
To move with a rhythmic pitching motion, alternately rising and falling (especially of a boat in rough seas or an aircraft experiencing aerodynamic instability).
"The small speedboat began to porpoise violently as it hit the choppy wake of the larger vessel."
Word Nuance & Usage
The noun 'porpoise' is frequently confused with 'dolphin'; however, porpoises belong to a distinct taxonomic family and are characterized by blunt snouts, spade-shaped teeth, and stockier bodies, unlike the elongated beaks of dolphins.
• Rhymes for porpoise
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English 'porpeys', borrowed from Old French 'porpois', which traces back to Medieval Latin 'porcopiscis', literally meaning 'pig fish' (from Latin 'porcus' for pig and 'piscis' for fish).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.