Grampuses

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Grampus \Gram"pus\, n.; pl. {Grampuses}. [Probably corrupted
     from It. gran pesce great fish, or Sp. gran pez, or Pg. gran
     peixe, all fr. L. grandis piscis. See {Grand}, and {Fish}.
     the animal.]
     1. (Zool.) A toothed delphinoid cetacean, of the genus
        {Grampus}, esp. {G. griseus} of Europe and America, which


        is valued for its oil. It grows to be fifteen to twenty
        feet long; its color is gray with white streaks. Called
        also {cowfish}. The California grampus is {G. Stearnsii}.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. A kind of tongs used in a bloomery. [U.S.] Granade