porcupine

/'pɔ:kjupain/

Thân thiện

A porcupine waddles through a forest clearing, its quills raised slightly.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A relatively large rodent characterized by having sharp, stiff, and often barbed quills or spines mingled with its fur, which it can raise as a defense mechanism.

Usage

• The word "porcupine" is used to refer to the animal itself. It is a countable noun.
• It is typically used in general descriptions of the animal, its behavior, or its habitat.

Examples

• Noun:
  • We saw a porcupine climbing a tree in the forest.
  • The porcupine uses its quills for protection against predators.
  • North American porcupines are primarily nocturnal.

Advanced Usage

• "to be like a porcupine": Used metaphorically to describe a person or thing that is prickly, defensive, or difficult to approach.
  • After the criticism, he was like a porcupine, pushing everyone away.

Variants and Related Words

• Porcupinefish (noun): A type of fish (family Diodontidae) that can inflate its body and has spines, resembling a porcupine. This is a separate compound word.
• Porcupine grass (noun): A type of grass with sharp, pointed seeds.

Synonyms

• Hedgehog: Note: While sometimes confused, a hedgehog is a different, smaller insectivorous mammal (order Eulipotyphla) with shorter spines. It is not a true synonym but a common point of confusion.
• Spiny rodent: A descriptive term.

Related Phrases and Idioms

• "To stick out like a porcupine": To be very obvious or conspicuous, often due to having a prickly or unusual appearance.
  • With all those antennas, the building sticks out like a porcupine on the skyline.

Học thuật

Noun

1. relatively large rodents with sharp erectile bristles mingled with the fur

Từ đồng nghĩa

• hedgehog