phocine

Definition

Pertaining to a seal (or similar pinnipeds); seallike.

Etymology

From Latin phōca (“seal”) (from Ancient Greek φώκη (phṓkē)) + -ine.

Example Sentences

• "He telegraphed to the whaling ports of New England, and sent messages to San Francisco and Alaska, to know if a group of sea lions and other specimens of the phocine tribe could be secured."
• "[…] she had already yanked out of me the coveted section [of the newspaper] and retreated to her mat near her phocine mamma."
• "She walked over towards me with an odd elegance, big strides, like a champion girl swimmer, say; muscled but lean, with a phocine grace."