urson

Compare urchin.

urson (plural ursons)

1. A species of New World porcupine, Erethizon dorsatum.
   • 1833, The Penny Cyclopædia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, Volume 1, page 443,

     The urson (Hystrix dorsata)^[sic] inhabits the United States and Canada, and is the only species of porcupine, properly so called, which appears to have the power of climbing trees.

   • 1834, Augustus Addison Gould (editor), A System of Natural History, page 253,

     The urson might be called the spiny beaver, it being of the same size, the same country, and the same form of body; […] . In the young ursons, the prickles are proportionably larger, more apparent, and the hair shorter and scarcer than in the adults.

• (Erethizon dorsatum): Canadian porcupine, cawquaw, North American porcupine, common porcupine (US, Canada)

• rouns

urson

1. accusative singular of urso