potvis

Dutch

Alternative forms

  • potvisch (obsolete)

Etymology

Compound of pot (“pot”) +‎ vis (“fish”). The part pot refers to the sperm whale's blunt head due to its melon and spermaceti organ.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈpɔtfɪs/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: pot‧vis

Noun

potvis m (plural potvissen, diminutive potvisje n)

  1. sperm whale (Physeter catodon syn. Physeter macrocephalus)
  2. sperm whale, any member of the family Physeteridae, including the above and several prehistoric species

Derived terms

  • dwergpotvis
  • potvisachtige

Anagrams

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