porcupine Hear it!

porcupine definition

por·cu·pine (pôr′kyə pīn′)

noun pl. porcupines -·pines′ or porcupine -·pine′

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

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

Porcupine definition

Por·cu·pine (pôr′kyə pīn′)

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

Etymology: descriptive

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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