porpoise
Americannoun
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any of several small, gregarious cetacean mammals of the genus Phocoena, usually blackish above and paler beneath, and having a blunt, rounded snout, especially the common porpoise, P. phocoena, of both the North Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.
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any of several small cetacean mammals, as the common dolphin, Delphinus delphis.
verb (used without object)
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(of a speeding motorboat) to leap clear of the water after striking a wave.
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(of a torpedo) to appear above the surface of the water.
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to move forward with a rising and falling motion in the manner of a porpoise.
The car has a tendency to porpoise when overloaded.
noun
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any of various small cetacean mammals of the genus Phocaena and related genera, having a blunt snout and many teeth: family Delphinidae (or Phocaenidae )
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(not in technical use) any of various related cetaceans, esp the dolphin
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of porpoise
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English porpoys, from Middle French porpois, from unattested Vulgar Latin porcopiscis “hog fish,” for Latin porcus marīnus “sea hog”
Explanation
Porpoises are ocean mammals that are very similar to dolphins. Most porpoises prefer cold Northern waters and stay close to the shore. Like their close relatives, dolphins and orcas, porpoises are toothed whales, descendants of hoofed land animals like the hippopotamus. It's not always easy to tell a porpoise from a dolphin, but they have shorter noses, smaller mouths, and differently shaped teeth. They're also not quite as chatty as dolphins, and don't make dolpins' distinctive whistling sound. They're just as intelligent, though.
Vocabulary lists containing porpoise
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The specimen was donated to the museum in 1966 and has now become the basis for an exceptionally detailed digital record of the rare porpoise.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 17, 2026
"We've always found it tricky to understand how grey seals would kill a healthy dolphin or porpoise," Langley said.
From BBC ● Mar. 2, 2026
So the finless porpoise doesn't end up like this, Professor Wang and other scientists are hoping that the current complete fishing ban will continue after the initial 10 years is up.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2025
Not only that, but over the last five years of records, porpoise numbers have gone up by nearly a quarter.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2025
“Purpose, porpoise, dolphin, doorframe, doorway. You are the doorway to the salvation of the world.”
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
At roughly 5 feet long, it is the smallest member of the cetacean group, which includes whales, dolphins and porpoises.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 17, 2026
The devices produce sounds audible only to porpoises and dolphins, which can deter them from approaching fishing nets.
From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026
Westfield said grey seals were known to occasionally prey on smaller harbour porpoises in Welsh waters, but there had not previously been a report involving common dolphins.
From BBC ● Mar. 2, 2026
"But now there is evidence from both direct observations and also from strandings data, that it also occurs between grey seals and harbour porpoises, and common dolphins," said Langley.
From BBC ● Mar. 2, 2026
Dolphins, porpoises, and certain types of whales use echolocation to navigate the ocean.
From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown
For nearly four hours, first in great confusion and then heartrending resignation, the saga played out on CNN as the Learjet porpoised through the air.
From Golf Digest ● Oct. 25, 2018
With wheels up, Moskva porpoised off a knoll, slammed down on her belly just beyond.
From Time Magazine Archive
Blue-wing olives swarmed over the water, and beneath them, pods of big rainbow trout porpoised all around me, their noses and backs and tails breaking the surface while they fed.
From Time Magazine Archive
When he porpoised back he predicted: "I'll flatten dat bum wit' one punch."
From Time Magazine Archive
Gentoo penguins porpoised along beside the boat as they raised the sail and plunged forward into the rolling waves.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
McLaren team chief Andrea Stella explained that the disqualification of both cars, for excessive wear of the skid blocks, was a result of an unexpected level of "porpoising... exacerbated by the conditions" in Nevada.
From Barron's ● Nov. 27, 2025
In current F1 cars, porpoising is caused by a disruption in the airflow under the car.
From BBC ● Nov. 27, 2025
This marked a return of an aerodynamic problem known as "porpoising" that dominated much of last season and will be something teams will want to try to eradicate for the rest of the weekend.
From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2023
Mercedes struggled with the ground effect known as “ porpoising ” and Russell was fourth in the 2022 standings, Hamilton was sixth.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 16, 2023
And—the layman may note it—with expert men at the periscope and diving-rudder, a porpoising sub can sight, discharge her torpedo, and dive—all within five seconds.
From The U-boat hunters by Connolly, James B. (James Brendan)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
