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dolphin

dolp·hin

UK/ˈdɒlf.ɪn/ US/ˈdɒl̥fɪn/ fairly common slang us

noun

1.
2.

any of various small toothed whales with a beaklike snout; larger than porpoises

Origin

From Middle English delphyn, from Latin delphīnus, from Ancient Greek δελφίς (delphís), from δελφύς (delphús, “womb”); the modern form in -ol- is probably influenced by the pronunciation of Middle French dauphin. Compare Swedish delfin. Doublet of dauphin. Displaced native Old English mereswīn (literally “sea pig”), whence English mereswine.

Phrases

  • Amazon dolphin
  • Amazon River dolphin
  • Arabian common dolphin
  • Araguaian river dolphin
  • Atlantic humpback dolphin
  • Atlantic spotted dolphin
  • Atlantic white-sided dolphin

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.