# porpoise

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈpɔːpəs/ · frequency rank #49,562

## Definitions
1. Any small cetacean of the family Phocoenidae, related to dolphins and whales.
2. Any small dolphin.

## Etymology
From Middle English porpeys, purpeys, borrowed from Anglo-Norman porpeis, purpeis, Old French pourpois, porpois, pourpais, porpeis (“porpoise”), from Vulgar Latin *porcopiscis (“porpoise”, literally “hog-fish”), taken from Latin porcus (“hog, pig”) + piscis (“fish”). Compare (in transposed order) obsolete Italian pesce porco and Portuguese peixe porco; also Latin porcus marīnus (“sea hog”); akin in formation to Frankish *mariswīn (“porpoise, dolphin”) (whence German Meerschwein, English mereswine). More at mereswine.

## Easily confused with
- **purpose** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/porpoise-vs-purpose)

## Common misspellings (11)
`oprpoise`, `poproise`, `poropise`, `porpiose`, `porpoies`, `porpoisse`, `porposie`, `porppoise`, `porrpoise`, `pporpoise`, `propoise`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/porpoise