Porpoise

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈpɔːpÉ™s/
• US IPA: /ˈpɔːɹpÉ™s/
• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)pÉ™s

Origin

From Middle English porpeys, purpeys, from Anglo-Norman porpeis, purpeis, Old French pourpois, pourpais, porpeis ("porpoise"), from Vulgar Latin *porcopiscis ("porpoise", literally pig-fish), from Latin porcus ("pig") + piscis ("fish"). Compare (in transposed order) obsolete Italian pesce porco and Portuguese peixe porco; also Latin porcus marinus ("sea hog"), akin in formation to German Meerschwein, English mereswine. More at mereswine.

Noun

1. A small cetacean of the family Phocoenidae, related to whales and dolphins.
2. (North America, imprecisely) Any small dolphin.

Synonyms

• gairfish, mereswine, sea hog, sea pig, seaswine

Full definition of porpoise

Verb

1. (intransitive) Said of an aircraft: to make a series of plunges when taking off or landing.