online vocabulary.com

Porcupine - Meaning, Definition & English Examples

A porcupine is a large rodent covered with sharp quills for defense. It lives in forests and grasslands, and its quills detach easily when threatened to deter predators.

porcupine

/ˈpɔːrkjəpaɪn/ /ˈpɔːkjʊpaɪn/

Definition:

A rodent with sharp quills for defense, found in forests and grasslands.

Synonyms:

hedgehog, spiny mammal, quill pig

Part of Speech:

noun

Antonyms:

smooth animal, soft-furred creature

Common Collocations:

porcupine quills, porcupine habitat, baby porcupine

Derivatives:

porcupines, porcupine-like

Usage Tips:

Use "porcupine" to describe the animal; avoid confusing it with "hedgehog," which lacks long quills.

Common Phrases:

prickly like a porcupine, porcupine ball (dish), porcupine effect (behavior)

Etymology:

From Old French "porc espin," meaning "spiny pig," influenced by Latin "porcus" (pig) and "spina" (thorn).

Examples:

  • 1. The porcupine climbed the tree slowly.
  • 2. Her dog got quilled by a startled porcupine.
  • 3. Porcupines are nocturnal and mostly eat plants.
  • 4. We saw a baby porcupine at the zoo yesterday.

MORE VOCABULARY LISTS