vaquita

noun

va·qui·ta vä-ˈkē-tə

plural vaquitas

: a small, highly endangered porpoise (Phocoena sinus) of the Gulf of California having a dark ring around the eyes and reaching only four to five feet (1.2 to 1.5 meters) in length

The Mexican government is making a final effort to save the vaquita, a tiny porpoise that has been driven to the edge of extinction as a result of illegal fishing for another endangered species that is served as a delicacy in China.

Elisabeth Malkin

Word History

First Known Use

1961, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of vaquita was in 1961

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Vaquita.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vaquita. Accessed 7 Dec. 2022.

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