porcupine

noun

por·​cu·​pine ˈpȯr-kyə-ˌpīn How to pronounce porcupine (audio)
plural porcupines also porcupine
: any of various relatively large slow-moving chiefly herbivorous rodents having sharp erectile spines mingled with the hair and constituting an Old World terrestrial family (Hystricidae) and a New World chiefly arboreal family (Erethizontidae)

Illustration of porcupine

Illustration of porcupine

Examples of porcupine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The implausibility of Shyamalan’s story no longer bothers me: So what if the monsters look like bipedal porcupines? David Sims, The Atlantic, 30 July 2024 Kids will love the 30-minute Running Wild show, which brings a skunk, ringtail cat, porcupine, pelican and a few macaws on stage. Laura Daniella Sepulveda, The Arizona Republic, 14 Aug. 2024 The six-acre park has roughly 190 animals to see, which include bald eagles, porcupines, otters, emus and laughing kookaburras. John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 23 July 2024 Other animals in the exhibit include kangaroos, porcupines, parrots and various large reptiles. Esther Sun, Sacramento Bee, 19 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for porcupine 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'porcupine.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English porke despyne, from Middle French porc espin, from Old Italian porcospino, from Latin porcus pig + spina spine, prickle

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of porcupine was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near porcupine

porcino

porcupine

Porcupine

Cite this Entry

“Porcupine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/porcupine. Accessed 19 Sep. 2024.

Kids Definition

porcupine

noun
por·​cu·​pine ˈpȯr-kyə-ˌpīn How to pronounce porcupine (audio)
: any of various rather large slow-moving mostly plant-eating rodents with stiff sharp quills among the hairs on the body
Etymology

Middle English porke despyne "porcupine," from early French porc espin, literally, "thorny pig," derived from Latin porcus "pig" and spina "spine, prickle" — related to pork, porpoise, spine see Word History at porpoise

Geographical Definition

Porcupine

geographical name

river 448 miles (721 kilometers) long in northern Yukon and northeastern Alaska flowing north and west into the Yukon River

More from Merriam-Webster on porcupine

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