Adjacent Words

Porcupine definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

POR'CUPINE, n. [L. porcus; spina, a spine or thorn.]
In zoology, a quadruped of the genus Hystrix. The crested porcupine has a body about two feet in length, four toes on each of the fore feet, and five on each of the hind feet, a crested head, a short tail, and the upper lip divided like that of the hare. The body is covered with prickles which are very sharp, and some of them nine or ten inches long; these he can erect at pleasure. When attacked, he rolls his body into a round form, in which position the prickles are presented in every direction to the enemy. This species is a native of Africa and Asia.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: relatively large rodents with sharp erectile bristles mingled with the fur [syn: porcupine, hedgehog]

Merriam Webster's

noun (plural porcupines; also porcupine) Etymology: Middle English porke despyne, from Middle French porc espin, from Old Italian porcospino, from Latin porcus pig + spina spine, prickle Date: 15th century 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)

Merriam Webster's

geographical name river 448 miles (721 kilometers) in N Yukon Territory & NE Alaska flowing N & W into the Yukon

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 any rodent of the family Hystricidae native to Africa, Asia, and SE Europe, or the family Erethizontidae native to America, having defensive spines or quills. 2 (attrib.) denoting any of various animals or other organisms with spines. Phrases and idioms: porcupine fish a marine fish, Diodon hystrix, covered with sharp spines and often distending itself into a spherical shape. Derivatives: porcupinish adj. porcupiny adj. Etymology: ME f. OF porc espin f. Prov. porc espi(n) ult. f. L porcus pig + spina thorn

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Porcupine Por"cu*pine, n. [OE. porkepyn, porpentine, OF. porc-espi, F. porc-['e]pic (cf. It. porco spino, porco spinoso, Sp. puerco espino, puerco espin, fr. L. porcus swine + spina thorn, spine). The last part of the French word is perhaps a corruption from the It. or Sp.; cf. F. ['e]pi ear, a spike of grain, L. spica. See Pork, Spike a large nail, Spine.] 1. (Zo["o]l.) Any Old Word rodent of the genus Hystrix, having the back covered with long, sharp, erectile spines or quills, sometimes a foot long. The common species of Europe and Asia (Hystrix cristata) is the best known. 2. (Zo["o]l.) Any species of Erethizon and related genera, native of America. They are related to the true porcupines, but have shorter spines, and are arboreal in their habits. The Canada porcupine (Erethizon dorsatus) is a well known species. Porcupine ant-eater (Zo["o]l.), the echidna. Porcupine crab (Zo["o]l.), a large spiny Japanese crab (Acantholithodes hystrix). Porcupine disease (Med.). See Ichthyosis. Porcupine fish (Zo["o]l.), any plectognath fish having the body covered with spines which become erect when the body is inflated. See Diodon, and Globefish. Porcupine grass (Bot.), a grass (Stipa spartea) with grains bearing a stout twisted awn, which, by coiling and uncoiling through changes in moisture, propels the sharp-pointed and barbellate grain into the wool and flesh of sheep. It is found from Illinois westward. See Illustration in Appendix. Porcupine wood (Bot.), the hard outer wood of the cocoa palm; -- so called because, when cut horizontally, the markings of the wood resemble the quills of a porcupine.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(porcupines) A porcupine is an animal with many long, thin, sharp spikes on its back that stick out as protection when it is attacked. N-COUNT

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

por'-ku-pin (qippodh (Isa 14:23; 34:11; Ze 2:14) the King James Version "bittern," the Revised Version (British and American) "porcupine"; Septuagint echinos "hedgehog"; qippoz (Isa 34:15), the King James Version "great owl," the English Revised Version "arrow-snake," the American Standard Revised Version "dart-snake"; Septuagint echinos; compare Arabic qunfud, or qunfudh, "hedgehog" or "porcupine." qippodh, is referred to the root qaphadh, "to draw one's self together" or "to roll oneself up," while qipoz is referred to the root qaphaz, and the root qaphats, "to draw together in order to spring." The resemblance between all these words, including the Arabic is obvious, and it is to be noted that the Septuagint has echinos in all the places cited):

The Greek echinos is the hedgehog. The Arabic kunfudh is used in some localities for the hedgehog and in others for the porcupine, which is also called nis. The hedgehog is also called kibbabat-ush-shauk, or "ball of spines." These two animals are both found in Syria and Palestine, and, while both have spines, they are very different animals, though often confounded. The hedgehog, Erinaceus europeus, is one of the Insectivora. It eats not only insects but also snakes and other small animals, as well as fruits and roots. It is about 10 inches long, covered with short spines, and rolls itself into a ball when attacked. It inhabits the countries bordering the Mediterranean. The porcupine, Hystrix cristata, is a rodent, about 26 inches long, having long spines. It is herbivorous. It backs rapidly at its foes, thrusting its sharp spines into their flesh, not shooting its spines, as is often stated. It inhabits most of Europe and Asia. It is very different from the Canadian porcupine, Erethizon dorsatus, as well as from the tree porcupines of Mexico and Central and South America.

As to the rendering "bittern" for qippodh (Isa 14:23; 34:15; Ze 2:14), while the etymology favors "hedgehog," the context favors a bird, especially in Isa 34:11, though it cannot be said that in any of the passages the context makes "hedgehog" an impossible rendering.

In Isa 34:15, for qippoz, most modern authorities (compare the Revised Version (British and American)) have some sort of serpent, referring to the Arabic root qafaz, "to spring." (See notes above on qaphaz and qaphats.) In this passage also the context is not unfavorable to a bird (compare the King James Version "great owl").

See BITTERN; OWL; SERPENT.

Alfred Ely Day

Moby Thesaurus

Cape polecat, ape, bar, bear, cavy, chimp, chimpanzee, coon, ferret, foumart, glutton, groundhog, guinea pig, hedgehog, monk, monkey, mousehound, opossum, polecat, possum, prairie dog, quill pig, raccoon, skunk, weasel, whistle-pig, wolverine, woodchuck, zoril