grampus
Americannoun
plural
grampuses-
a cetacean, Grampus griseus, of the dolphin family, widely distributed in northern seas.
-
any of various related cetaceans, as the killer whale, Orcinus (Orca ) orca.
-
a giant whip scorpion common to Florida.
noun
-
a widely distributed slaty-grey dolphin, Grampus griseus, with a blunt snout
-
another name for killer whale
Etymology
Origin of grampus
1520–30; earlier grampoys, variant (by assimilation) of graundepose great fish, equivalent to graunde grand + pose, poys < Middle French pois, peis < Latin pisce- (stem of piscis ) fish; replacing Middle English gra ( s ) peis < Middle French ≪ Latin crassus piscis fat fish
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.
He continues: “Water dog, grampus, grumpus, mollyhugger, horny head, devil dog.”
From Washington Times • Dec. 2, 2018
It h a menacing or amorous puff, similar to the grampus.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
From a distance grampus are most easily confused with Atlantic bottlenosed dolphins.
From Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises of the Western North Atlantic A Guide to Their Identification by Caldwell, David
The sea was full of white whales, narwhals, and grampus.
From The Romance of Polar Exploration Interesting Descriptions of Arctic and Antarctic Adventure from the Earliest Time to the Voyage of the ?Discovery? by Scott, G. Firth
Hull, blowing like a grampus, had swam up to them.
From House of Torment A Tale of the Remarkable Adventures of Mr. John Commendone, Gentleman to King Phillip II of Spain at the English Court by Gull, Cyril Arthur Edward Ranger
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.
