Dictionary De - En
De - Es
De - Pt| English Dictionary: dolphin | by the DICT Development Group |
| 3 results for dolphin | |
| From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
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| From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
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Dolphin \Dol"phin\ (d[ocr]l"f[icr]n), n. [F. dauphin dolphin, dauphin, earlier spelt also doffin; cf. OF. dalphinal of the dauphin; fr. L. delphinus, Gr. delfi`s a dolphin (in senses 1, 2, & 5), perh. properly, belly fish; cf. delfy`s womb, Skr. garbha; perh. akin to E. calf. Cf. {Dauphin}, {Delphine}.] 1. (Zool.) (a) A cetacean of the genus {Delphinus} and allied genera (esp. {D. delphis}); the true dolphin. (b) The {Coryph[91]na hippuris}, a fish of about five feet in length, celebrated for its surprising changes of color when dying. It is the fish commonly known as the dolphin. See {Coryph[91]noid}. Note: The dolphin of the ancients ({D. delphis}) is common in the Mediterranean and Atlantic, and attains a length of from six to eight feet. 2. [Gr. delfi`s] (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. 3. (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. 4. (Gun.) In old ordnance, one of the handles above the trunnions by which the gun was lifted. 5. (Astron.) A small constellation between Aquila and Pegasus. See {Delphinus}, n., 2. {Dolphin fly} (Zo[94]l.), the black, bean, or collier, Aphis ({Aphis fable}), destructive to beans. {Dolphin striker} (Naut.), a short vertical spar under the bowsprit. | |
| From U.S. Gazetteer (1990) [gazetteer]: | |
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Dolphin, VA Zip code(s): 23843 | |
