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Glite Dictionary
common rorqual

common rorqual

9.0
A large whale that has a flat head and deep lines on its throat, often called the fin whale
  • noun
  • /ˈkɒmən ˈrɔːrkwəl/
translation icon : ballena de aleta
  • The common rorqual is the second largest whale in the world after the blue whale.

Examples

  • A common rorqual can reach lengths of up to 27 meters.

  • Scientists are tracking migration patterns of the common rorqual across the Pacific Ocean.

  • The common rorqual is known for its incredible speed.

  • Did you see the common rorqual swimming near the shore?

  • The common rorqual is the second largest whale in the world after the blue whale.

  • Scientists are tracking migration patterns of the common rorqual across the Pacific Ocean.

  • A common rorqual can reach lengths of up to 27 meters.

Synonyms

fin whale
vscommon rorqual
3 4.0

A large whale with a flat head, long body and small back fin found in the Atlantic and Pacific

is the alternate technical label used instead of the common name
Balaenoptera physalus
vscommon rorqual
  • Specialized
9.9

A very large whale with a flat head and deep lines on its throat found in many oceans

is the everyday common label rather than the Latin scientific term
finback whale
vscommon rorqual
6.3

A large whale with baleen plates, a flat head, and throat ridges that lives in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans

is the standard description noting deep throat grooves rather than ridges
finback
vscommon rorqual
8.9

A very large whale with a flat head and deep grooves along its throat

is the more formal or specific name used in scientific and guide contexts

Surface Forms

common rorqual singular
common rorquals plural

Morphology

common + rorqual

The noun phrase is compositionally straightforward: 'common' simply qualifies 'rorqual', so someone who knows 'rorqual' as a type of whale will interpret this as the typical or frequently occurring rorqual (here, the fin whale). This follows a standard adjective + noun pattern common across languages, so the overall meaning is directly derivable from the constituents.

Etymology

Common rorqual may come from an old word, rorqual, for a whale with deep folds in its throat. Those throat grooves let the whale open its mouth wide and take in a lot of water and food, so the name fits this large 'fin whale'.