n.
Pronunciation: ' po ̇ r-ky ə - ˌ p ī n
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural porcupines also porcupine
Etymology: Middle English porke despyne, from Middle French porc espin, from Old Italian porcospino, from Latin porcus pig + spina spine, prickle
Date: 15th century
: any of various relatively large slow-moving chiefly herbivorous rodents having sharp erectile spines mingled with the hair and constituting an Old World terrestrial family (Hystricidae) and a New World chiefly arboreal family (Erethizontidae)
porcupine