Meaning
hedgehog; porcupine
- porcupine (rodent with sharp defensive quills)
- hedgehog (popular everyday synonym for 'riccio')
In a sentence
Un porcospino ha attraversato lentamente la strada di campagna.
A hedgehog crossed the country road slowly.
Il cane si è punto il muso sugli aculei di un porcospino.
The dog pricked its snout on a porcupine's quills.
Sai distinguere un riccio comune da un porcospino?
Do you know how to tell a common hedgehog from a porcupine?
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| porcospino | masculine · singular |
| porcospini | masculine · plural |
Usage notes
- Strictly speaking, 'porcospino' or 'istrice' is a porcupine, while 'riccio' is a hedgehog, but in everyday speech they are frequently confused.
- Plural is regular: 'i porcospini'.