The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Skunk \Skunk\, n. [Contr. from the Abenaki (American Indian)
seganku.] (Zool.)
Any one of several species of American musteline carnivores
of the genus Mephitis and allied genera. They have two
glands near the anus, secreting an extremely fetid liquid,
which the animal ejects at pleasure as a means of defense.
[1913 Webster]
Note: The common species of the Eastern United States
(Mephitis mephitica) is black with more or less white
on the body and tail. The spotted skunk (Spilogale
putorius), native of the Southwestern United States
and Mexico, is smaller than the common skunk, and is
variously marked with black and white.
[1913 Webster]
Skunk bird, Skunk blackbird (Zool.), the bobolink; -- so
called because the male, in the breeding season, is black
and white, like a skunk.
Skunk cabbage (Bot.), an American aroid herb (Symplocarpus
f[oe]tidus) having a reddish hornlike spathe in earliest
spring, followed by a cluster of large cabbagelike leaves.
It exhales a disagreeable odor. Also called swamp
cabbage.
Skunk porpoise. (Zool.) See under Porpoise.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Porpoise \Por"poise\, n. [OE. porpeys, OF. porpeis, literally,
hog fish, from L. porcus swine + piscis fish. See Pork, and
Fish.]
1. (Zool.) Any small cetacean of the genus Phoc[ae]na,
especially Phoc[ae]na communis, or Phoc[ae]na
phoc[ae]na, of Europe, and the closely allied American
species (Phoc[ae]na Americana). The color is dusky or
blackish above, paler beneath. They are closely allied to
the dolphins, but have a shorter snout. Called also
harbor porpoise, herring hag, puffing pig, and
snuffer.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Zool.) A true dolphin (Delphinus); -- often so called
by sailors.
[1913 Webster]
Skunk porpoise, or Bay porpoise (Zool.), a North American
porpoise (Lagenorhynchus acutus), larger than the common
species, and with broad stripes of white and yellow on the
sides. See Illustration in Appendix.
[1913 Webster]