: any of various small marine toothed whales (family Delphinidae) with the snout more or less elongated into a beak and the neck vertebrae partially fused
Note:
While not closely related, dolphins and porpoises share a physical resemblance that often leads to misidentification. Dolphins typically have cone-shaped teeth, curved dorsal fins, and elongated beaks with large mouths, while porpoises have flat, spade-shaped teeth, triangular dorsal fins, and shortened beaks with smaller mouths.
b
: any of several related chiefly freshwater toothed whales (as of the families Platanistidae and Iniidae) : river dolphin
also: a cluster of closely driven piles used as a fender for a dock or as a mooring or guide for boats
Illustration of dolphin
dolphin 1a
Examples of dolphin in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebSeals, sea lions, and dolphins evacuated the NEMO Dolphinarium in earlier rescue missions launched since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.—Becca Longmire, Peoplemag, 19 June 2024 Additionally, should a dolphin become trapped in a net, officials said immediate measures should be taken to cut the animal free.—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 12 June 2024 In this behavior, one individual plays female, even though that dolphin could be male or female.—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 11 June 2024 As global temperatures have shattered records, scientists have recently documented a die-off of Amazon dolphins and a mass bleaching event in the world’s coral reefs.—Manuela Andreoni, New York Times, 22 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for dolphin
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dolphin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English delphyn, dolphyn, from Anglo-French delphin, alteration of Old French dalfin, from Medieval Latin dalfinus, alteration of Latin delphinus, from Greek delphin-, delphis; akin to Greek delphys womb, Sanskrit garbha
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)
Time Traveler
The first known use of dolphin was
in the 14th century
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