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porcupine Definition

por·cu·pine (pôrkyə pīn′)

noun pl. -·pines′ or -·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 (pôrkyə pīn′)

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

Etymology: descriptive

porcupine Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • include: Included is archival footage provided by the Kinsey Institute of copulating animals, including porcupines.
  • have: I have porcupines and rocky pines and all the other hairdo's.
  • catch: Trail Of The Unexpected: Andringitra National Park, Madagascar Someone called out: " He's caught a small porcupine!

Adjective modifier

  • crested: General characteristics There are four other species of crested porcupine, the Cape porcupine, Himalayan porcupine, Indian porcupine and Malayan porcupine.
  • Indian: Other mammals include Indian porcupine Hystrix indica and Indian hare Lepus nigricollis.
  • prickly: Creature Features Creature Features is a BRAND NEW interactive animal land with inquisitive meerkats, wallabies, rheas, skunks and prickly porcupines.
  • African: The African porcupine is one of the largest rodents in the world, belonging to the same family as the Guinea Pig.
  • small: Trail Of The Unexpected: Andringitra National Park, Madagascar Someone called out: " He's caught a small porcupine!

Modifies a noun

  • quill: The probes act like porcupine quills in that the more they are moved, the deeper they work themselves.
  • fish: Porcupine fish were hiding underneath small outcrops, their huge, doleful eyes peering out warily at the passing divers.
  • tree: Porcupine Tree 's attraction for me has always been their ability to produce thoughtful music without the need for complicated arrangements.
  • puffer: Marine Fish One very large porcupine puffer 6 to 7 inches.. .

Noun used with modifier

  • tree: Wildlife is plentiful and includes the spider monkey, tree porcupine, parrots and hummingbirds.
porcupine Quotes

Like giving dry birth to a porcupine.

—Simpson, Alan (Kooi)

The key is to be a porcupineöhave a reputation for being difficult.

—Matthews, ChristopherJ

Working for Warner Brothers was like fucking a porcupineöit's a hundred pricks against one.

—Mizner,Wilson

To cite passages is to pull one quill from a porcupine.

—Moore, Marianne Craig

Browse dictionary entries near porcupine

  1. porcino
  2. porcine
  3. porch
  4. porcelainize
  5. porcelain
  6. porbeagle
  7. populous
  8. Populistic
  9. Populist
  10. population explosion
  1. porcupinefish
  2. pore
  3. pore fungus
  4. porgy
  5. poriferan
  6. poriferous
  7. porism
  8. pork
  9. pork barrel
  10. pork bellies