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porcupine

(pôr′kyə pīn′)

any of a terrestrial Old World family (Hystricidae) or an arboreal New World family (Erethizontidae) of rodents, having coarse hair mixed with long, stiff, sharp spines that can be erected

Origin: ME porkepyn < MFr porc espin, spinous hog, spine hog < OIt porcospino < L porcus, pig (see farrow) + spine

river in N Yukon Territory, Canada, flowing into the Yukon River in NE Alas.: 590 mi (949 km)

Origin: descriptive

See porcupine in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

Any of various rodents of the Old World family Hystricidae or the New World family Erethizontidae, having long, sharp, erectile quills interspersed with coarse hair.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English porke despine

Origin: , from Old French porc espin

Origin: : Latin porcus, pig; see porko- in Indo-European roots

Origin: + Latin spīna, thorn, spine

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