Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Skunk \Skunk\, n. [Contr. from the Abenaki (American Indian)
   seganku.] (Zo["o]l.)
   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.

   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.

   {Skunk bird}, {Skunk blackbird} (Zo["o]l.), 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}. (Zo["o]l.) See under {Porpoise}.

Porpoise \Por"poise\, n. [OE. porpeys, OF. porpeis, literally,
   hog fish, from L. porcus swine + piscis fish. See {Pork}, and
   {Fish}.]
   1. (Zo["o]l.) Any small cetacean of the genus {Phoc[ae]na},
      especially {P. communis}, or {P. phoc[ae]na}, of Europe,
      and the closely allied American species ({P. 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}.

   2. (Zo["o]l.) A true dolphin ({Delphinus}); -- often so
      called by sailors.

   {Skunk porpoise}, or {Bay porpoise} (Zo["o]l.), 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.