common dolphin

2.6

A small black-and-white sea animal that swims fast and often jumps from the water

noun
/ˈkɑːmən ˈdɑːlfɪn/

: delfín común

During our boat tour, we were thrilled to see several common dolphins swimming alongside us in the warm seas.

Examples

A female common dolphin, six feet long and nearly 140 pounds, bobbed ashore at Far Rockaway, Queens, on Friday morning and flopped onto the beach.

Blog text (2)
While swimming at the beach, we spotted a group of common dolphins leaping gracefully out of the water.
The common dolphins are known for their playful behavior and can often be seen riding the waves near boats.

Synonyms

Delphinus delphis

vscommon dolphin

Specialized

7.2

A black-and-white ocean dolphin that often leaps high out of the water

is the everyday name used instead of the scientific term

How Fast

swift

7 2.9

wahoo

1 9.4

common dolphin

2.6

Surface Forms

common dolphin singular

common dolphins plural

Morphology

common + dolphin

The phrase is a straightforward adjective + noun combination: 'common' (typical/frequently occurring) modifies 'dolphin' (marine mammal), so the overall meaning—a dolphin species that is common—is directly inferable from the parts. This compositional pattern is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily understand the MWE.

Etymology

Common dolphin is a name made from common and dolphin; sailors and people on boats often saw this small, black-and-white dolphin leaping near their vessels, so it was called 'common' because it was seen so often. So today common dolphin means a small dolphin people frequently see in warm seas.