| 释义 |
dol·phin
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
 [dolphin 1a]
II. intransitive verb
(-ed/-ing/-s)
: to swim in a series of plunges like a dolphin
III.
obsolete
variant of dauphin |