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Glite Dictionary
rorqual

rorqual

9.9
A large whale with throat grooves and a small pointed fin that eats by filtering water with plates
  • noun
  • /ˈrɔrkwəl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : rorqual
  • During our boat tour, we spotted a rorqual breaching the surface, showcasing its long body and pointed dorsal fin.

Examples

  • With him as my dais, I lectured from nine until ten o'clock, indicating for the curious the paired blowholes, the rorqual's furrowed throat.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • The rorqual is known for its impressive size and unique throat grooves that aid in feeding.

  • Researchers are studying the rorqual's feeding habits to understand how its throat pleats help it consume large amounts of water.

Synonyms

razorback
vsrorqual
  • Specialized
9.9

A large whale with plates in its mouth, long throat grooves, and a small pointed fin on its back

has identical meaning but uses an alternative name form

Compounds

common rorqual
9.0

A large whale that has a flat head and deep lines on its throat, often called the fin whale

lesser rorqual
  • Specialized
9.9

A small whale like a minke whale that lives near coasts

Surface Forms

rorqual singular
rorquals plural

Etymology

Rorqual comes from French, which borrowed it from a Scandinavian word made of rør meaning 'furrow' or 'groove' and kval meaning 'whale', like our English word 'whale'. So a rorqual is literally a 'grooved whale', which fits the animal's long throat folds and helps you remember how it feeds.