dolphin

IPA/ˈdɒlfɪn/
KK[dˈɑlfən]IPA/ˈdɑːlfɪn/

dolphin — noun

  • dolphinsingular
  • dolphinsplural

1. a grey sea animal with a smooth body and a long nose, known for being very intel

1.nounA2
Definition

a grey sea animal with a smooth body and a long nose, known for being very intelligent and friendly to people

Example

Femi saw a group of dolphins jumping out of the water near the boat.

A dolphin at the aquarium turned on its side, watching the children through the glass.

preposition: on its side / through the glass

Common collocations
  • bottlenose dolphin
  • dolphin pod
  • dolphin show
  • swim with dolphins
  • dolphin-friendly (tuna)

Usage Note

Dolphins are mammals, not fish. They breathe air through a blowhole on top of their head. A group of dolphins is called a pod, and the definite article is common when referring to a known group: 'the dolphins in the bay'.

Common Mistakes

A dolphin is a kind of fish.
A dolphin is a mammal, not a fish.
Dolphins breathe air, have warm blood, and feed their babies milk, just like land mammals.

2. a large fish from warm seas that has a long body and is caught for food or sport

2.nounB1
Definition

a large fish from warm seas that has a long body and is caught for food or sport; also called mahimahi or dolphinfish

Example

We ordered grilled dolphin with rice and salad at the beach restaurant.

collocation: grilled dolphin

Andrés caught a large dolphin while fishing off the coast of Hawaii.

Common collocations
  • grilled dolphin
  • dolphin steak
  • catch dolphin
  • dolphin fishing
Synonyms
  • mahimahi

    the Hawaiian name, commonly used on restaurant menus in English-speaking countries to avoid confusion with the mammal

  • dolphinfish

    the formal compound name that explicitly marks this as a fish, not the mammal

Usage Note

On menus and in markets this fish is often called 'mahimahi' to avoid confusion with the mammal. When referring to the meat, dolphin can be used as an uncountable noun: 'We ate dolphin for dinner.'

Common Mistakes

I ate dolphin at the sushi restaurant.' (when the listener might think of the mammal)
I ate mahimahi at the sushi restaurant.
In restaurants, use 'mahimahi' or 'dolphinfish' to prevent confusion with the protected sea mammal.

Word family

  • dolphin-friendly
    adjectiveB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Porpoises and whales are the two marine animals learners most often confuse with dolphins. A porpoise is smaller than most dolphins and has a round, blunt snout, while dolphins have a long, pointed beak and are more commonly seen leaping near boats. Whales are much larger — though some, like orcas, actually belong to the same family as dolphins. The key clue: a sleek grey shape jumping beside a boat is almost always a dolphin. A blunt-headed animal bobbing in the water is likely a porpoise, and a tall spray from the surface means a whale. The fish called 'dolphinfish' or 'mahimahi' is a completely different creature — a fish, not a mammal — and is the sense used when talking about seafood.

porpoisewhale ↗dolphinfish ↗

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'dolphin' comes from Latin 'delphinus', which was borrowed from Greek 'delphis' (δελφίς). Some scholars link the Greek word to 'delphys' (δελφύς) meaning 'womb', possibly because dolphins carry their young inside their bodies like land mammals. The word entered English through Old French 'dauphin'. The fish sense appeared in the 1500s, named after the mammal because the fish has a similar long snout and a rounded forehead.