How to pronounce dolphin
American English pronunciation
DAHL-fin
- IPA
- /ˈdɑlfɪn/
- Syllables
- DAHL · fin (2 syllables, stress on the 1st)
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What dolphin means
Most people know dolphin in its everyday sense. Here's its other meaning.
A cluster of posts in the water for tying up boats
In a sentence: The ferry tied up to the wooden dolphin beside the pier while it waited for space at the dock.
Where it comes from: It may come from the Dutch dukdalf, possibly named after a Spanish duke who first built such posts in the 1500s. It is a different word from the dolphin of the sea.
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