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pourcuttle. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
pourcuttle, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
pourcuttle in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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English
Etymology
Uncertain first element + cuttle. The OED takes the forms with con to be easy misreadings of the earlier-attested cou (compare e.g. ouarine, a misreading of ouariue), but says pour- "can hardly stand for an earlier poul-" as on poulpe, polyp (compare polwygle, porwiggle as variants of pollywog).
Noun
pourcuttle (plural pourcuttles)
- (obsolete) A cephalopod with tentacles; an octopus or cuttlefish.
1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 12, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes , book II, London: Val Simmes for Edward Blount , →OCLC:The fish called a Pourcontrell [translating poulpe], or Manie-feet, changeth himselfe into what colour he lists, as occasion offereth it selfe; that so he may hide himselfe from what he feareth, and catch what he seeketh for.