porcupine

Meaning

Any of several rodents of either of the taxonomic families Hystricidae (Old World porcupines) or Erethizontidae (New World porcupines), both from the infraorder Hystricognathi, noted for their sharp spines or quills, which are raised when the animal is attacked or surprised.

Synonyms

hedgehog

🦔

spiny anteater

echidna

balloonfish

ajargo

balloon porcupinefish

baloon porcupinefish

bloched porcupine fish

blotched porcupine

blotched porcupinefish

brown porcupine fish

brown porcupinefish

freckled porcupinefish

Erethizon dorsatum

Old World porcupine

hairy porcupinefish

hedgehog fish

long-spine porcupinefish

anteater

Czech hedgehog

porpentine

porcupinefish

Translations

porc-épic

Stachelschwein

porcospino

stekelvarken

porco-espinho

puerco espín

ακανθόχοιρος

istrice

puercoespín

Hystrix spp.

oklukirpi

porc espí

hystrix

Erithizon epixanthum

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈpɔː(ɹ)kjʊˌpaɪn/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: porke despyne

Cognate with Spanish: puercoespín

Cognate with Italian: porcospino

Cognate with Portuguese: porco-espinho

In summary

From Middle English porke despyne, from Old French porc-espin, from Latin porcus (“pig”) + spinus (“spine”), hence also spine pig. Cognate with Spanish puercoespín, Italian porcospino, Portuguese porco-espinho.