■ noun
1》 a small gregarious and intelligent toothed whale with a beak-like snout and a curved fin on the back. [Families Delphinidae (marine) and Platanistidae ( river ~s ): many species.]
2》 (also ~fish ) another term for dorado (in sense 1).
3》 a bollard, pile, or buoy for mooring.
4》 a structure protecting the pier of a bridge.
Origin
ME: from OFr. dauphin , from Provençal dalfin , from L. delphinus , from Gk delphin .