I. ˈdälfə̇n, ˈdȯl- noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French dophin, doffin, daufin, from Old French dalfin, from Old Provençal, from Medieval Latin dalfinus, alteration of Latin delphinus, from Greek delphin-, delphis, delphin; akin to Greek delphys womb; from its shape; akin to Sanskrit garbha womb, Avestan garəwa-
1.
a. : any of various small toothed whales of the family Delphinidae that have the snout more or less elongated into a beak and the neck vertebrae partially fused — distinguished from porpoise
b. : porpoise 1
2. : either of two active pelagic spiny-finned fishes constituting the genus Coryphaena (family Coryphaenidae) which are widely distributed in tropical and temperate seas and the commoner of which ( C. hippurus ) usually becomes about six feet long and is esteemed as food and noted for its brilliant colors when it is taken out of the water and is dying
3. : one of the handles above the trunnions of an ancient cannon for lifting it
4. : a mass of iron or lead hung from the yardarm on ancient Greek ships of war to be dropped on the deck of an enemy's vessel
5.
a. archaic : a wreath or strap of plaited cordage around a mast to aid in supporting the yard
b. : a mooring spar or buoy furnished with a ring to which boats may fasten their cables
c. : a mooring post on a wharf or beach — called also bollard
d. : a cluster of piles driven into the bottom of a harbor and bound firmly together for the mooring of boats
e. : a permanent fender around a heavy boat just below the gunwale
f. : spline weight
6. : a cluster of piles to which a boom is secured (as for protecting a bridge pier)
7.
a. or dolphin butterfly or dolphin fishtail : butterfly 3g(2)
b. : a synchronized swimming stunt in which the body from a back floating position is arched and goes down headfirst to describe a complete circle back to the starting position
[s]dolphin.jpg[/s] [
dolphin 1a
]
II. intransitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
: to swim in a series of plunges like a dolphin
III.
obsolete
variant of dauphin