A porcupine is a small to medium-sized animal covered with sharp quills that stick out from its body for protection. When threatened, it raises its quills to scare away predators.
From Middle French *porc-espin* “spiny pig,” from Latin *porcus* “pig” and a word for “thorn” or “spine.” English reshaped the sounds into *porcupine* over time.
The name literally means “spiky pig,” even though porcupines aren’t pigs at all. It shows how humans often name animals by mixing something familiar (*pig*) with the most obvious new feature (*spines*).
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