phoca

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“
We went round the bay, but found no traces of man, but numerous herds of the amphibious animal, called sometimes the sea-lion, the sea-dog, or the sea-elephant, or trunked phoca: modern voyagers give it the last name.

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Definitions (4)

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  1. A seal.
  2. [capitalized] [NL.] A genus of Phocidæ or seals, formerly coextensive at least, with the family, now restricted to the section which is represented by the common harbor-seal, P. vitulina, and a few closely related species. See seal, and cut under harp-seal.

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Examples (20)

  • We went round the bay, but found no traces of man, but numerous herds of the amphibious animal, called sometimes the sea-lion, the sea-dog, or the sea-elephant, or trunked phoca: modern voyagers give it the last name. —  The Swiss Family Robinson; or Adventures in a Desert Island
  • I saw him to-day engage in an animated contest with a phoca, or seal (_sealgh, our people more properly call them, retaining the Gothic guttural gh_), with as much vehemence as if he had fought against Dumourier--Marry, my lord, the phoca had the better, as the said Dumourier had of some other folks. —  The Antiquary — Complete
  • A messenger, Hector, is a worse foe than a phoca, whether it be the phoca barbata, or the phoca vitulina of your late conflict D--n the phoca, sir," said Hector, "whether it be the one or the other--I say d--n them both particularly! —  The Antiquary — Complete
  • Then returning, half-smiling at his own pettishness, he said, "Get thee into the house, Edie, and remember my counsel, never speak to me about a mine, nor to my nephew Hector about a phoca, that is a sealgh, as you call it I maun be ganging my ways back to Fairport," said the wanderer; "I want to see what they're saying there about the invasion;--but I'll mind what your honour says, no to speak to you about a sealgh, or to the Captain about the hundred pounds that you gied to Douster Confound thee!--I desired thee not to mention that to me Dear me!" —  The Antiquary — Complete
  • I may remind English readers that [Greek] (i.e. phoca) means "seal." —  The Odyssey
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Etymologies (1)

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  1. = French phoque = Spanish Italian foca = Portuguese phoca, from Latin phoca, from Greek φώκη, a seal.
 

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