DOLPHIN

Dolphin

Dolphins are marine mammals closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in 17 genera. They vary in size from and, up to and . They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves and are carnivores, eating mostly fish and squid. The family Delphinidae, the largest in the Cetacean order, evolved relatively recently, about ten million years ago during the Miocene.

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dolphin

Noun

  1. A carnivorous aquatic mammal inhabiting mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, famed for its intelligence and occasional willingness to approach humans.
  2. A fish, the mahi-mahi or dorado, Coryphaena hippurus, with a dorsal fin that runs the length of the body, also known for iridescent coloration.
  3. The dauphin, eldest son of the kings of France.
  4. A mass of iron or lead hung from the yardarm, in readiness to be dropped through the deck and the hull of an enemy's vessel to sink it.
  5. A kind of wreath or strap of plaited cordage.
  6. A spar or buoy held by an anchor and furnished with a ring to which ships may fasten their cables.
  7. A mooring post on a wharf or beach.
  8. A permanent fender around a heavy boat just below the gunwale.
  9. One of the handles above the trunnions by which a gun was lifted.

Noun (etymology 2)

  1. A man-made semi submerged maritime structure, usually installed to provide a fixed structure for temporary mooring, to prevent ships from drifting to shallow water or to serve as base for navigational aids.


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: dolphin
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

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