n. A heavy-bodied mackerel shark (Lamna nasus) chiefly of temperate waters. [Cornish porbugel, possibly from *porthbugel (porth, harbor, cove, from Latin portus, port; see PORT + bugel, shepherd, from Proto-Celtic *boukoli-, herdsman; see kwel-1 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots) or *porghelbugel (porghel, young pig (perhaps because the porbeagle chases porpoises, called morhogh, literally, “sea hog,” in Cornish), from Latin porcellus, piglet, diminutive of porcus, pig; see PORK + bugel, shepherd).] |
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