Meaning & use
dolphin
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A large, intelligent sea mammal with a curved fin and a long snout, known for its social behavior and clicking sounds.
Grammar: Countable: one dolphin, two dolphins. It is a mammal, not a fish.
Patterns
- a pod of dolphins
- swim with dolphins
- dolphin show
We saw a pod of dolphins swimming alongside the boat.
Dolphins use clicks and whistles to communicate with each other.
nouncountabletechnical
A large, predatory fish with a blunt head and bright colors, often called a dolphinfish or mahi-mahi.
Grammar: Countable; this sense is common in fishing and cooking contexts.
Patterns
- catch a dolphin
- dolphin fish
- grilled dolphin
The fisherman caught a dolphin, which is a popular game fish.
Dolphin is often served in restaurants under the name mahi-mahi.
Word forms
| plural | dolphins |
|---|
Common combinations
- pod of dolphins
- A pod of dolphins followed our ship for miles.
- swim with dolphins
- Tourists pay to swim with dolphins in the lagoon.
- dolphin show
- The aquarium's dolphin show attracts many families.
- bottlenose dolphin
- The bottlenose dolphin is the most familiar species.
- dolphin-friendly tuna
- She always buys dolphin-friendly tuna to protect marine life.
Synonyms and how they differ
- porpoise
- A smaller, similar sea mammal with a shorter snout; it is often confused with the dolphin but is a different family.
Word family
- dolphinfish noun
- A colorful fish also known as mahi-mahi.
Commonly confused: dolphin or porpoise? dolphin or dolphin vs. dolphinfish?
dolphin vs porpoise
Porpoises are smaller and have blunt snouts, while dolphins have longer snouts and curved fins. Both are marine mammals.
dolphin vs dolphin vs. dolphinfish
In fishing, 'dolphin' can mean a fish, but in everyday use it almost always means the mammal. To avoid confusion, say 'mahi-mahi' for the fish.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'dolphin' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Dolphins are mammals that live in water and can leap out of it. They do not lay eggs, are not sharks, and are warm-blooded, so the other options are incorrect.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dolphin”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.