Illustration of dolphin
- dolphin 1a
1
a
: any of various small marine toothed whales (family Delphinidae) with the snout more or less elongated into a beak and the neck vertebrae partially fused
Note: While not closely related, dolphins and porpoises share a physical resemblance that often leads to misidentification. Dolphins typically have cone-shaped teeth, curved dorsal fins, and elongated beaks with large mouths, while porpoises have flat, spade-shaped teeth, triangular dorsal fins, and shortened beaks with smaller mouths.
b
: any of several related chiefly freshwater toothed whales (as of the families Platanistidae and Iniidae) : river dolphin
2
3
Dolphin
: delphinus
4
: a spar or buoy for mooring boats
also
: a cluster of closely driven piles used as a fender for a dock or as a mooring or guide for boats
Examples of dolphin in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This comes less than a week after Achane reportedly signed a four-year, $64 million extension to remain with the Dolphins.
—
Miami Herald, 19 May 2026
Here, expansive lawns are an ideal place to roll out a picnic and watch for dolphins flipping out of the bay in the distance.
—Nora Heston Tarte, Mercury News, 18 May 2026
After, head to the open seas to meet the real locals of Galveston on a 45-minute dolphin tour with Baywatch Dolphin Tours.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 18 May 2026
Other miniature titanium forms—including dolphins, sharks and ladybugs—appear inside transparent spheres embedded throughout the sculptures.
—Anthony Demarco, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for dolphin
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Miami Herald, 19 May 2026
Here, expansive lawns are an ideal place to roll out a picnic and watch for dolphins flipping out of the bay in the distance.
—Nora Heston Tarte, Mercury News, 18 May 2026
After, head to the open seas to meet the real locals of Galveston on a 45-minute dolphin tour with Baywatch Dolphin Tours.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 18 May 2026
Other miniature titanium forms—including dolphins, sharks and ladybugs—appear inside transparent spheres embedded throughout the sculptures.
—Anthony Demarco, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for dolphin
Cite this Entry
“Dolphin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dolphin. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dolphin
noun
dol·phin
ˈdäl-fən 
ˈdȯl-
1
a
: any of various small whales with teeth and a long nose
b
2
: either of two active saltwater food fishes noted for their brilliant coloring
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