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Dolphin
Definitions
- 1 A surname. countable, uncountable
- 2 A township in Knox County, Nebraska, United States. countable, uncountable
- 3 An unincorporated community in Brunswick County, Virginia, United States. countable, uncountable
- 4 An unincorporated community in San Juan County, Washington, United States. countable, uncountable
- 5 A hamlet in Brynford community, Flintshire, Wales (OS grid ref SJ1973). countable, uncountable
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- 6 Synonym of Delphinus (constellation). countable, uncountable
- 1 A carnivorous aquatic mammal in one of several families of the infraorder Cetacea, famed for its intelligence and occasional willingness to approach humans.
- 2 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.
- 3 A member of an athletic team called the Dolphins, such as the Miami Dolphins and teams of various institutions of learning.
- 4 any of various small toothed whales with a beaklike snout; larger than porpoises wordnet
- 5 A carnivorous aquatic mammal in one of several families of the infraorder Cetacea, famed for its intelligence and occasional willingness to approach humans.; Tursiops truncatus, (Atlantic bottlenose dolphin) the most well-known species.
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- 6 large slender food and game fish widely distributed in warm seas (especially around Hawaii) wordnet
- 7 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.
- 8 A depiction of a fish, with a broad indented fin, usually embowed.
- 9 The dauphin, eldest son of the kings of France.
- 10 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.
- 11 A kind of wreath or strap of plaited cordage.
- 12 A spar or buoy held by an anchor and furnished with a ring to which ships may fasten their cables.
- 13 A mooring post on a wharf or beach.
- 14 A permanent fender designed to protect a heavy boat, bridge, or coastal structure from the impact of large floating objects such as ice, floating logs, or vessels.
"At each end of the piers in the water, in cases where several rows of pile are driven, a sort of cutwater should be formed, in order to ward off heavy bodies, such as floating trees, ice, etc. and prevent them from injuring the superstructure (called in German constructions, "Eisbrecher," or ice-breaker). This is usually done by driving one pile by itself in advance of the rest, or by forming what is called a "dolphin" at each end of the pier."
- 15 One of the handles above the trunnions by which a gun was lifted. obsolete
- 16 A person who buys shares on the primary market only to resell them immediately at a high profit. US, slang
Etymology
From Middle English delphyn, from Latin delphīnus, from Ancient Greek δελφίς (delphís), from δελφύς (delphús, “womb”); the modern form in -ol- is probably influenced by the pronunciation of Middle French dauphin. Compare Swedish delfin. Doublet of dauphin. Displaced native Old English mereswīn (literally “sea pig”).
Ultimately from 3rd Duke of Alba (duc-d'Albe in French), who was the first to build this type of structure in the Spanish Netherlands in the 16th century. Possibly from Dutch dukdalf, or the plural dukdalven, through elision of the initial duk-.
From Middle English Dolfin, from Old Norse Dólgfinnr (given name), from dólgr (“enemy”) + Finnr (“Sami”).
From Middle English Dolfin, from Old Norse Dólgfinnr (given name), from dólgr (“enemy”) + Finnr (“Sami”).
See also for "dolphin"
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