Illustration of porcupine
porcupine
noun
por·cu·pine
ˈpȯr-kyə-ˌpīn 
plural porcupines also porcupine
: any of various relatively large slow-moving chiefly herbivorous rodents having sharp erectile spines mingled with the hair and constituting an Old World terrestrial family (Hystricidae) and a New World chiefly arboreal family (Erethizontidae)
Examples of porcupine in a Sentence
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The 10-acre wild animal refuge at 5712 Vía Montellano in Bonsall, is home to more than 100 animals representing 70 species from around the world, ranging from wallabies, bearcats and armadillos to porcupines, binturongs, lynx, marsupials and kinkajou along with an iguana and alligators.
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Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Feb. 2026
Smaller, more sensitive mammals, like sloths, porcupines will be brought indoors and kept in a heated structure as well.
—Dan Peck, ABC News, 30 Jan. 2026
The director said the zoo had North American porcupines, which are also native to Idaho, until 2024, when the last one died of old age.
—Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 12 Jan. 2026
From leathery leaves to porcupine-like seedheads to foliage that sways gracefully, perennials offer all kinds of engaging winter interest.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Dec. 2025
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Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Feb. 2026
Smaller, more sensitive mammals, like sloths, porcupines will be brought indoors and kept in a heated structure as well.
—Dan Peck, ABC News, 30 Jan. 2026
The director said the zoo had North American porcupines, which are also native to Idaho, until 2024, when the last one died of old age.
—Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 12 Jan. 2026
From leathery leaves to porcupine-like seedheads to foliage that sways gracefully, perennials offer all kinds of engaging winter interest.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for porcupine
Cite this Entry
“Porcupine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/porcupine. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
porcupine
noun
por·cu·pine
ˈpȯr-kyə-ˌpīn
: any of various rather large slow-moving mostly plant-eating rodents with stiff sharp quills among the hairs on the body
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