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grampuses

 - 3 dictionary results

gram⋅pus

  [gram-puhs]
Use grampuses in a Sentence
–noun, plural -pus⋅es.
1. a cetacean, Grampus griseus, of the dolphin family, widely distributed in northern seas.
2. any of various related cetaceans, as the killer whale, Orcinus (Orca) orca.
3. a giant whip scorpion common to Florida.
Origin:
1520–30; earlier grampoys, var. (by assimilation) of graundepose great fish, equiv. to graunde grand + pose, poys < MF pois, peis < L pisce- (s. of piscis) fish; r. ME gra(s)peis < MF ≪ L crassus piscis fat fish
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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gram·pus   (grām'pəs)   
n.  

  1. A cetacean (Grampus griseus) related to and resembling the dolphins but lacking a beaklike snout.

  2. Any of various similar cetaceans, such as the killer whale.


[Alteration (perhaps influenced by grand) of Middle English graspeis, from Old French craspois, graspeis, from Medieval Latin crassus piscis, craspiscis : Latin crassus, fat + Latin piscis, fish.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

grampus 
1529, from Anglo-Fr. grampais, altered (by infl. of grand) from O.Fr. graspeis, from M.L. craspicis, lit. "fat fish," from L. crassus "thick" + piscis "fish."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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