porpoise

/pɔːˈpɔɪs//ˈpɔːɹpəs/

noun

  1. 1

    A small cetacean of the family Phocoenidae, related to dolphins and whales.

  2. 2

    (imprecisely) Any small dolphin.

Synonyms

verb

  1. 1

    Said of an air-breathing aquatic animal such as a porpoise or penguin: To repeatedly jump out of the water to take a breath and dive back in a continuous motion.

  2. 2

    Said of an aircraft: to make a series of plunges when taking off or landing; or of a watercraft: to successively plunge up and down in the water.

Translate “porpoise” to another language

Click any language to open the translator with this word already filled in.