harbor porpoise
- noun
- /ˈhɑrbər ˈpɔrpoʊs/
- Specialized
:
marsopa común
- During our boat tour, we were excited to see a harbor porpoise leaping out of the water.
- harbor porpoises and seals
- harbor porpoise and dolphin
Examples
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Although belugas were not seen, harbor porpoises were reliably detected, especially in 1997, 1998, and 1999, over a relatively broad survey area in lower Cook Inlet (Fig. 3).
Academic text (2000) -
The common harbor porpoise has an abrupt snout.
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Harbor porpoise sighting rates varied annually, probably in large part due to the different areas surveyed.
Academic text (2000) -
To index our ability to see small cetaceans during our surveys, we calculated annual sighting rates for harbor porpoises (Table 1), which are arguably more difficult to detect than larger, white belugas.
Academic text (2000) -
The harbor porpoise is often spotted swimming close to the shore in coastal waters.
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Biologists study the harbor porpoise to learn more about its behavior and habitat.
Synonyms
A small sea mammal like a whale that lives in northern coastal waters
A small sea animal like a dolphin that lives near coasts and eats fish
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'harbor' (coastal sheltered water) qualifies 'porpoise' (small cetacean), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a porpoise found in harbors/coastal waters. This type of noun–noun compound follows a common, cross-linguistic pattern and requires no idiomatic knowledge.
Etymology
Harbor porpoise paints a simple picture: a small porpoise popping up near a harbor or the shore. So it means 'a small porpoise found near the coast'.
