vaquita

From Spanish vaquita (“little cow”), diminutive of vaca (“cow”).

• IPA^(key): /vəˈkiːtə/
• Rhymes: -iːtə
• Hyphenation: va‧qui‧ta

vaquita (plural vaquitas)

1. A small and critically endangered porpoise, Phocoena sinus, endemic to the northern part of the Gulf of California, Mexico.
   • 2015 November 5, “Whale of a deal”, in New Scientist‎, number 3098, page 6:

     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.

• (Phocoena sinus): cochito, desert porpoise, Gulf of California harbor porpoise, Gulf of California porpoise, gulf porpoise, vaquita marina, vaquita porpoise

• sea cow

• aquavit

• IPA^(key): /baˈkita/ [baˈki.t̪a]
• Rhymes: -ita
• Syllabification: va‧qui‧ta

vaquita f (plural vaquitas)

1. Diminutive of vaca, little cow

   Synonym: vaquilla