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porcupine

Pronunciation: /ˈpɔːkjʊpʌɪn/

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Definition of porcupine

noun

  • a large rodent with defensive spines or quills on the body and tail.
    • Suborder Hystricomorpha: families Hystricidae (three Old World genera) and Erethizontidae (four New World genera)

Origin:

late Middle English: from Old French porc espin, from Provençal porc espi(n), from Latin porcus 'pig' + spina 'thorn'

porcupine in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of porcupine in the US English dictionary

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