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porcupinemore about porcupine

porcupine

 

  3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  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. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  porcupine 
  n  :  relatively  large  rodents  with  sharp  erectile  bristles 
  mingled  with  the  fur  [syn:  {hedgehog}] 
 
  From  U.S.  Gazetteer  (1990)  [gazetteer]: 
 
  Porcupine,  SD  (CDP,  FIPS  51340) 
  Location:  43.27197  N,  102.33289  W 
  Population  (1990):  783  (175  housing  units) 
  Area:  24.5  sq  km  (land),  0.0  sq  km  (water) 
  Zip  code(s):  57772




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