porcupine

American  

[pawr-kyuh-pahyn] / ˈpɔr kyəˌpaɪn /

noun

1. any of several rodents covered with stiff, sharp, erectile spines or quills, as Erethizon dorsatum of North America.

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porcupine British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

• porcupinish adjective
• porcupiny adjective

Etymology

Origin of porcupine

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

Example Sentences

The machine that cuts the stone looks a little bit like a giant porcupine.

From BBC • Feb. 16, 2025

A new study published in the journal Current Biology claims to have reconciled the dispute, thanks to an exceptionally rare, nearly complete porcupine skeleton discovered in Florida.

From Science Daily • May 28, 2024

DNA evidence suggests North America's sole porcupine belongs to a group that originated 10 million years ago, but fossils seem to tell a different story.

From Science Daily • May 28, 2024

Whether you’re a pedestrian or a porcupine, you live in the thrall of roads.

From Slate • May 25, 2024

He sat quivering, every nerve tense, recognizing the smell, and presently past the opening of the cave waddled a large porcupine, returning peacefully home from a night’s foraging.

From "The Incredible Journey" by Sheila Burnford