Dictionary

grampus en · NOUN

Etymology

From Middle English *grampas, grappays, grapas, graspeys, from Anglo-Norman grampais, Old French graspois, craspois (“whale, (salted) whale meat; blubber; seal”), from Medieval Latin craspicis (literally “fat fish”), from Latin crassus (“fat”) + piscis (“fish”).

Meanings

1. (archaic) A killer whale (Orcinus orca).
   • ‘No. I only opened the door a foot and put my head in. The street lamps shine into that room. I could see him. He was all right. Sleeping like a great grampus. Poor, poor chap.’ 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 20, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
   • Some time after this we saw some very large fish, which I afterwards found were called grampusses. 1789, Olaudah Equiano, chapter 3, in The Interesting Narrative, volume I:
   • Blowing like a grampus from every orifice, I leaned on a passing wave which dumped me[.] 1980, Ian Chappell, Chappelli has the last laugh, page 39:
   • The Governor will blow like an old grampus, I know he will,—well, we must stop till he gets his wind again. 1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 19, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, →OCLC:
2. Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus), with a blunt nose.
3. A hellbender salamander, Cryptobranchus alleganiensis.
4. A giant whip scorpion (Mastigoproctus giganteus)

Forms

Deriveds

blow the grampus

Relateds

crass · Pisces

Translations (4)

hu Risso-delfin (Grampus griseus) · nl gramper (Grampus griseus) · nl grijze dolfijn (Grampus griseus) · ota یونس بالغی (Grampus griseus)