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Webster 1913 Edition

dolphin

dol′phin

(dŏl′fĭn)
,
Noun.
[F.
dauphin
dolphin, dauphin, earlier spelt also
doffin
; cf. OF.
dalphinal
of the dauphin; fr. L.
delphinus
, Gr.
δελφίσ
a dolphin (in senses 1, 2, 3, & 6), perh. properly, belly fish; cf.
δελφύσ
womb, Skr.
garbha
; perh. akin to E.
calf
. Cf.
Dauphin
,
Delphine
.]
1.
(Zool.)
A cetacean of the genus
Delphinus
and allied genera (esp.
Delphinus delphis
); the true dolphin.
☞ The dolphin of the ancients (
Delphinus delphis
) is common in the Mediterranean and Atlantic, and attains a length of from six to eight feet.
3.
[Gr.
δελφίς
]
(Gr. Antiq.)
A mass of iron or lead hung from the yardarm, in readiness to be dropped on the deck of an enemy’s vessel.
4.
(Naut.)
(a)
A kind of wreath or strap of plaited cordage.
(b)
A spar or buoy held by an anchor and furnished with a ring to which ships may fasten their cables.
R. H. Dana.
(c)
A mooring post on a wharf or beach.
(d)
A permanent fender around a heavy boat just below the gunwale.
Ham. Nav. Encyc.
5.
(Gun.)
In old ordnance, one of the handles above the trunnions by which a cannon was lifted.
6.
(Astron.)
A small constellation between Aquila and Pegasus. See
Delphinus
,
Noun.
, 2.
Dolphin fly
(Zool.)
,
the black, bean, or collier, Aphis (
Aphis fable
), destructive to beans.
–
Dolphin striker
(Naut.)
,
a short vertical spar under the bowsprit.

Webster 1828 Edition

Dolphin

DOLPHIN

,
Noun.
[Gr.]
1.
A genus of cetaceous fish, with teeth in both jaws, and a pipe in the head, comprehending the dolphin, the porpoise, the grampus and the beluga. But the fish to which seamen give this name, is the Coryphaena hippuris of Linne. It has a flat roundish snout and a tapering body, with a fin running along the back from the head to the tail, consisting of a coriaceous membrane with soft spines.
2.
In ancient Greece, a machine suspended over the sea, to be dropped on any vessel passing under it.

Definition 2024

dolphin

dolphin

English

A bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)

Pronunciation

Noun

dolphin ‎(plural dolphins)

  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. (historical) 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. (nautical) A kind of wreath or strap of plaited cordage.
  6. (nautical) A spar or buoy held by an anchor and furnished with a ring to which ships may fasten their cables.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of R. H. Dana to this entry?)
  7. A mooring post on a wharf or beach.
  8. A permanent fender around a heavy boat just below the gunwale.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Ham. Nav. Encyc to this entry?)
  9. (military, obsolete) One of the handles above the trunnions by which a gun was lifted.

Synonyms
Translations
Derived terms

See also

Etymology 2

Dolphin structures in Germany.

From 3rd Duke of Alba (duc d'Albe in French), who was the first to let build this type of structures in the Spanish Netherlands in the 16th century.

Noun

dolphin ‎(plural dolphins)

  1. (nautical) 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.
Translations

Etymology

From Middle English dolfin, from Old French daulphin, dalphin, daufin, from Latin delphīnus, from Ancient Greek δελφίς ‎(delphís), from δελφύς ‎(delphús, “womb”). Compare Swedish delfin.

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