דָּרְבָּן
darban
Everyday HebrewFormsדָּרְבָּנִים
MeaningA small animal covered with long, sharp needles for protection.
HistoryThis word first appears in the Mishnah, a book of Jewish teachings from about 1800 years ago. It comes from an older biblical word that means a sharp stick. The animal was probably named this because its sharp needles look like these sticks.
Example
At night we saw a porcupine crossing the road.