dolphin — English Dictionary

Noun

1. A carnivorous cetacean, typically with a beak-like snout, famed for their intelligence and occasional willingness to approach humans.

   Synonyms

   mereswinesea goosesea pig

2. A carnivorous cetacean, typically with a beak-like snout, famed for their intelligence and occasional willingness to approach humans. Tursiops truncatus, (Atlantic bottlenose dolphin) the most well-known species.

3. A fish, the mahi-mahi or dorado, Coryphaena hippurus, with a dorsal fin that runs the length of the body, also known for iridescent coloration.

4. A depiction of a fish, with a broad indented fin, usually embowed.

5. The dauphin, eldest son of the kings of France.

6. A mass of iron or lead hung from the yardarm, in readiness to be dropped through the deck and the hull of an enemy's vessel to sink it.

7. A kind of wreath or strap of plaited cordage.

8. A spar or buoy held by an anchor and furnished with a ring to which ships may fasten their cables.

9. A mooring post on a wharf or beach.

10. A permanent fender designed to protect a heavy boat, bridge, or coastal structure from the impact of large floating objects such as ice, floating logs, or vessels.

    Examples

    More examples (3)

    At each end of the piers in the water, in cases where several rows of pile are driven, a sort of cutwater should be formed, in order to ward off heavy bodies, such as floating trees, ice, etc. and prevent them from injuring the superstructure (called in German constructions, "Eisbrecher," or ice-breaker). This is usually done by driving one pile by itself in advance of the rest, or by forming what is called a "dolphin" at each end of the pier.

    An ice-breaker or dolphin was also constructed during the latter part of the autumn, a little above the site for No. 2 dam, or that for the twoer nearest the Pesth shore; this dolphin, which served as a protection against the ice, rafts, &c. was constructed at this time, so that a means might be afforded of judging of the actual force of the ice during the winter ensuing; and the event proved that its construction was most fortunate, as the winter of 1840-41 was unusually severe.

    The Dolphin is now seldom used, but a rope treated in the same manner, with mousings raised on it at regular intervals, is sometimes put around a Launch, just below the gunwale outside and secured there as a sort of permanent fender; this also is called a Dolphin.

    For a dolphin or buoy to be placed on the south point of Goat Island, in the harbor of Newport, one hundred and fifty dollars.

    More examples (1)

    Sometimes a stoppage would take place owing to the accumulation of ice between the Dolphin and the dam, which kept that above back until a mass of ice more resembling an island than anything else it can be compared to, would force the whole mass before it, breaking up the large blocks accumulated at the dam into a thousand pieces.

11. One of the handles above the trunnions by which a gun was lifted.

    Usage

    • Obsolete

12. A person who buys shares on the primary market only to resell them immediately at a high profit.

    Usage

    • US usage
    • Slang

Noun

1. A man-made semi submerged maritime structure, usually installed to provide a fixed structure for temporary mooring, to prevent ships from drifting to shallow water or to serve as base for navigational aids.

Noun

1. large slender food and game fish widely distributed in warm seas (especially around Hawaii)

   Synonyms

   dolphinfishmahimahi

   Broader terms

   percoid fishpercoidpercoidean

2. any of various small toothed whales with a beaklike snout; larger than porpoises

   Broader terms

   toothed whale