Porpoise

Pronunciation: /ˈpɔːrpəs/

Definitions of porpoise

noun a small toothed whale with a blunt snout and a triangular dorsal fin

Example Sentences

A1 A porpoise is a small marine mammal.

A2 Porpoises are known for their playful behavior.

B1 Scientists study the communication patterns of porpoises.

B2 The decline in porpoise populations is a cause for concern.

C1 Conservation efforts are being made to protect porpoises from extinction.

C2 Researchers are conducting in-depth studies on the intelligence of porpoises.

Examples of porpoise in a Sentence

formal The porpoise is a small toothed whale that is often found in coastal waters.

informal I saw a porpoise swimming near the shore while I was at the beach.

slang Check out that cool porpoise doing flips in the water!

figurative The team worked together like a pod of porpoises, smoothly and efficiently.

Grammatical Forms of porpoise

• past tense: porpoised
• plural: porpoises
• comparative: more porpoise
• superlative: most porpoise
• present tense: porpoises
• future tense: will porpoise
• perfect tense: has porpoised
• continuous tense: is porpoising
• singular: porpoise
• positive degree: porpoise
• infinitive: to porpoise
• gerund: porpoising
• participle: porpoising

Origin and Evolution of porpoise

First Known Use: 1350 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'porpoise' originated from Middle English 'porpeys' which came from Old French 'porpais' and ultimately from Latin 'porcus' meaning pig and 'piscis' meaning fish, due to its resemblance to a pig and fish.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'porpoise' has retained its original meaning of a marine mammal closely related to dolphins, but has also been used metaphorically to describe something or someone clumsy or awkward.