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cetacean

cetacean

3 7.9
A large animal that lives in the sea, like a whale or dolphin
  • noun
  • /sɪˈteɪʃən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : cetáceo
  • Postcranial anatomy. Not surprisingly, the postcranial anatomy of modern cetaceans is spectacularly different from that of their terrestrial relatives.
  • modern cetaceans
  • cetacean sightings
  • species of cetaceans

So, for example, cetaceans, the dolphins, the whales do, gorillas, chimps do.

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Examples

  • Seven species of cetaceans were sighted during the survey, none of which were belugas.

    Academic text (2000)
  • The lower jaw of cetaceans offers another feature of evolutionary interest.

    Academic text (2001)
  • No comprehensive studies of cetaceans in Prince William Sound had been conducted prior to this survey.

    Academic text (2000)
  • All of these features are similar to land mammals and unlike modern cetaceans.

    Academic text (2001)
  • Our knowledge of pilot whale biology, as with most cetaceans, is rather poor.

    Academic text (1995)
  • The Cetacean lnstitute is the only museum in the world exclusively devoted to whales.

  • At the head of the food chain, they have become one ofthe most contaminated of all the cetaceans.

  • What we do know of early cetaceans amounts to an overwhelming and dramatic record of evolving adaptations.

    Academic text (2001)
  • Cetaceans, better knownas dolphins and whales, have been roaming the oceansfor millions of years.

  • Many people are fascinated by the intelligence of cetaceans like dolphins and whales.

Synonyms

aquatic mammal
vscetacean
1 3.4

An animal that breathes air and lives in water, like a whale or seal

refers only to larger water mammals like whales and dolphins

Compounds

cetacean species
  • Specialized
1 7.2

A sea mammal species like whales, dolphins and porpoises

Surface Forms

cetacean singular
cetaceans plural

Morphology

cetacean = cetace + an

This is a learned biological term built on a bound classical root, so an average B1 learner would not recover the meaning from the parts alone.

Etymology

Cetacean comes from the old words cetus and ketos, which mean 'large sea creature' or 'whale'. So a cetacean is simply a big sea mammal like a whale, dolphin, or porpoise.