2 entries found for porcupine.
To select an entry, click on it. Main Entry: por·cu·pine
Pronunciation:
p
r-ky
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p
nFunction: noun
Etymology: Middle English porke despyne "porcupine," from early French porc espin, literally, "thorny pig," derived from Latin porcus "pig" and spina "spine, prickle" --related to PORK, PORPOISE, SPINE --see Word History at PORPOISE
: any of various rather large slow-moving mostly plant-eating rodents with stiff sharp quills among the hairs on the body
[porcupine illustration]
Pronunciation Symbols