porcupine

[ pawr-kyuh-pahyn ]
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noun
  1. any of several rodents covered with stiff, sharp, erectile spines or quills, as Erethizon dorsatum of North America.

Origin of porcupine

1
1375–1425; late Middle English porcupyne, variant of porcapyne; replacing porke despyne<Middle French porc d'espine thorny pig. See pork, spine

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British Dictionary definitions for porcupine

porcupine

/ (ˈpɔːkjʊˌpaɪn) /


noun
  1. any of various large hystricomorph rodents of the families Hystricidae, of Africa, Indonesia, S Europe, and S Asia, and Erethizontidae, of the New World. All species have a body covering of protective spines or quills

Origin of porcupine

1
C14 porc despyne pig with spines, from Old French porc espin; see pork, spine

Derived forms of porcupine

  • porcupinish, adjective
  • porcupiny, adjective

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