Meanings
plural vaquitas
- A critically endangered porpoise, the smallest of its kind, of species Phocoena sinus, endemic to the northern part of the Gulf of California, Mexico.
THE world’s smallest porpoise may have a fighting chance. The vaquita might be saved from extinction by an agreement at a meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in Portoroz, Slovenia, last week. Unique to the Gulf of California, the vaquita has seen its numbers collapse to 59 in 2015.
2015 November 5, “Whale of a deal”, in New Scientist, number 3098, page 6Synonyms: cochito, desert porpoise, Gulf of California harbor porpoise, Gulf of California porpoise, gulf porpoise, vaquita marina, vaquita porpoise
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA critically endangered porpoise, the smallest of its kind, of species Phocoena sinus, endemic to the northern part of the Gulf of California, Mexico.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna short porpoise that lives in the Gulf of California; an endangered species
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Spanishvaquita“little cow”
- Englishvaquita
From Spanish vaquita (“little cow”), diminutive of vaca (“cow”).
More words from Spanish
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan marsopa de Califòrnia
- marsopa de CalifòrniaPhocoena sinus
Finnish kalifornianpyöriäinen
- kalifornianpyöriäinenPhocoena sinus
French marsouin du Pacifique, vaquita
- marsouin du PacifiquePhocoena sinus
- vaquitaPhocoena sinus
- marsouin du golfe de CaliforniePhocoena sinus
German Vaquita, Golftümmler
- VaquitaPhocoena sinus
- GolftümmlerPhocoena sinus
- Kalifornischer SchweinswalPhocoena sinus
Japanese 小頭鼠海豚, コガシラネズミイルカ
- 小頭鼠海豚Phocoena sinus
- コガシラネズミイルカ (kogashira nezumiiruka)Phocoena sinus
Polish morświn kalifornijski
- morświn kalifornijskiPhocoena sinus
Portuguese vaquita-marinha, vaquita
- vaquita-marinhaPhocoena sinus
- vaquitaPhocoena sinus
Russian калифорни́йская морска́я свинья́
- калифорни́йская морска́я свинья́ (kaliforníjskaja morskája svinʹjá)Phocoena sinus
Turkish körfez muturu
- körfez muturuPhocoena sinus
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with vaquita
Anagrams
Cite this entry
vaquita. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vaquita
“vaquita.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vaquita. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “vaquita,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vaquita.
Source: vaquita on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.