despyne
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porke despyne — etc., early f. porcupine … Useful english dictionary
porcupine — noun (plural porcupines; also porcupine) Etymology: Middle English porke despyne, from Middle French porc espin, from Old Italian porcospino, from Latin porcus pig + spina spine, prickle Date: 15th century any of various relatively large slow… … New Collegiate Dictionary
porcupine — /pawr kyeuh puyn /, n. any of several rodents covered with stiff, sharp, erectile spines or quills, as Erethizon dorsatum of North America. [1375 1425; late ME porcupyne, var. of porcapyne; r. porke despyne < MF porc d espine thorny pig. See PORK … Universalium
porcupine — c.1400, porke despyne, from O.Fr. porc espin (early 13c.), lit. spiny pig, from L. porcus hog + spina thorn, spine. The word had many forms in M.E. and early Mod.E., including portepyn, porkpen, porkenpick, porpoynt, and Shakespeare s porpentine… … Etymology dictionary
porcupine — por•cu•pine [[t]ˈpɔr kyəˌpaɪn[/t]] n. mam any large rodent of the New World family Erethizontidae or the Old World family Hystricidae, having stiff, sharp, erectile spines or quills • Etymology: 1375–1425; late ME porcupyne, porcapyne, ME porke… … From formal English to slang
