porcupine

[ pawr-kyuh-pahyn ]

noun

1. any of several rodents covered with stiff, sharp, erectile spines or quills, as Erethizon dorsatum of North America.

porcupine

/ ˈpɔːkjʊˌpaɪn /

noun

1. any of various large hystricomorph rodents of the families Hystricidae, of Africa, Indonesia, S Europe, and S Asia, and Erethizontidae, of the New World. All species have a body covering of protective spines or quills

Derived Forms

• ˈporcuˌpinish, adjective
• ˈporcuˌpiny, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of porcupine¹

1375–1425; late Middle English porcupyne, variant of porcapyne; replacing porke despyne < Middle French porc d'espine thorny pig. See pork, spine

Word History and Origins

Origin of porcupine¹

C14 porc despyne pig with spines, from Old French porc espin; see pork , spine

Example Sentences

The samples from the stall that contained the coronavirus also contained DNA from a variety of animals, including dogs, rabbits, hoary bamboo rats, Malayan porcupines and masked palm civets.

From Los Angeles Times

Other animals identified as a potential source of the pandemic were the masked palm civet, which was also associated with the Sars outbreak in 2003, as well as hoary bamboo rats and Malayan porcupines.

From BBC

There's a longstanding debate simmering among biologists who study porcupines.

From Science Daily

A newsletter from spring 1972 reveals the family bred leopards, pumas, lions, monkeys, baboons, porcupines and a binturong.

From BBC

He also hears their theories on how they should be tackling the problem—everything from carpet-bombing the Everglades with porcupines to introducing African elephants to trample them to flooding the entire southern region of Florida.

From National Geographic