dolphin
Also found in: Thesaurus, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
dol·phin
(dŏl′fĭn, dôl′-)n. pl. dolphin or dol·phins
1.
a. Any of various marine toothed whales of the family Delphinidae, having a beaklike snout, a curved dorsal fin, and a slender streamlined body.
b. Any of several toothed whales inhabiting rivers and estuaries in South America and South Asia, having a long narrow beak, broad flippers, a flexible neck, and usually a reduced dorsal fin. A species native to the Yangtze River is thought to be extinct. Also called river dolphin.
2.
a. See dolphinfish.
b. See pompano dolphinfish.
3.
a. A buoy, pile, or group of piles used for mooring boats.
b. A group of piles used as a fender, as at a dock or around a bridge pier.
[Middle English, from Old French daulfin, blend of daufin and Old Provençal dalfin, both from Medieval Latin *dalfinus, from Latin delphīnus, from Greek delphīs, delphīn-, from delphus, womb (from its shape).]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
dolphin
(ˈdɒlfɪn)n
1. (Animals) any of various marine cetacean mammals of the family Delphinidae, esp Delphinus delphis, that are typically smaller than whales and larger than porpoises and have a beaklike snout
2. (Animals) river dolphin any freshwater cetacean of the family Platanistidae, inhabiting rivers of North and South America and S Asia. They are smaller than marine dolphins and have a longer narrower snout
3. (Animals) Also called: dorado either of two large marine percoid fishes, Coryphaena hippurus or C. equisetis, that resemble the cetacean dolphins and have an iridescent coloration
4. (Nautical Terms) nautical a post or buoy for mooring a vessel
[C13: from Old French dauphin, via Latin, from Greek delphin-, delphis]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
dol•phin
(ˈdɒl fɪn, ˈdɔl-)n.
1. any small toothed cetacean of the family Delphinidae, esp. the species having a beaklike snout. Compare porpoise.
2. Also called dolphinfish , mahimahi. either of two large, slender fishes, Coryphaena hippurus or C. equisetis, of warm and temperate seas.
3.
a. a pile, cluster of piles, or buoy to which a vessel may be moored.
b. a cluster of piles used as a fender, as at the entrance to a dock.
4. (cap.) the constellation Delphinus.
[1300–50; Middle English dolphyn < Old French daulphin « Latin delphīnus < Greek delphin]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
dol·phin
(dŏl′fĭn)1. Any of various, usually ocean-dwelling mammals having a snout shaped like a beak, forelimbs shaped like flippers, and horizontal tail flukes. Dolphins are related to but smaller than whales and are noted for their high intelligence. Compare porpoise.
2. Either of two edible fish that inhabit warm sea waters and have a fin extending along the back. Dolphins are iridescent when removed from the water.
The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
Noun | 1. | dolphin - large slender food and game fish widely distributed in warm seas (especially around Hawaii) Coryphaenidae, family Coryphaenidae - large active pelagic percoid fish Coryphaena hippurus - the more common dolphinfish valued as food; about six feet long Coryphaena equisetis - a kind of dolphinfish dolphinfish, mahimahi - the lean flesh of a saltwater fish found in warm waters (especially in Hawaii) Aloha State, Hawaii, Hawai'i, HI - a state in the United States in the central Pacific on the Hawaiian Islands |
2. | dolphin - any of various small toothed whales with a beaklike snout; larger than porpoises toothed whale - any of several whales having simple conical teeth and feeding on fish etc. Delphinidae, family Delphinidae - dolphins common dolphin, Delphinus delphis - black-and-white dolphin that leaps high out of the water; bottlenose, bottlenose dolphin, bottle-nosed dolphin - any of several dolphins with rounded forehead and well-developed beak; chiefly of northern Atlantic and Mediterranean porpoise - any of several small gregarious cetacean mammals having a blunt snout and many teeth Grampus griseus, grampus - slaty-grey blunt-nosed dolphin common in northern seas killer whale, orca, Orcinus orca, sea wolf, grampus, killer - predatory black-and-white toothed whale with large dorsal fin; common in cold seas black whale, common blackfish, Globicephala melaena, pilot whale, blackfish - small dark-colored whale of the Atlantic coast of the United States; the largest male acts as pilot or leader for the school river dolphin - any of several long-snouted usually freshwater dolphins of South America and southern Asia |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
dolphin
nounRelated words
collective noun school
see whales and dolphinscollective noun school
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Translations
دُلفيـندولْفين
делфин
delfín
delfinduc d'albe
delfeno
delfiini
dauphinduc-d’Albeduc-d'Albe
delfin
delfin
lumba-lumba
höfrungur
イルカ
돌고래
delphinus
delfinas
delfīns
delfín
delfin
delfin
ปลาโลมา
yunusyunus balığı
cá heo
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
dolphin
(ˈdolfin) noun a type of sea-animal about two and a half to three metres long, closely related to the porpoise.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
dolphin
→ دُلفيـن delfín delfin Delphin δελφίνι delfín delfiini dauphin delfin delfino イルカ 돌고래 dolfijn delfin delfin golfinho дельфин delfin ปลาโลมา yunus cá heo 海豚Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009