cetacean

American  

[si-tey-shuhn] / sɪˈteɪ ʃən /

adjective

1. belonging to the Cetacea, an order of aquatic, chiefly marine mammals, including the whales and dolphins.

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noun

1. a cetacean mammal.

cetacean British  

/ sɪˈteɪʃən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or belonging to the Cetacea, an order of aquatic placental mammals having no hind limbs and a blowhole for breathing: includes toothed whales (dolphins, porpoises, etc) and whalebone whales (rorquals, right whales, etc)

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noun

1. a whale

cetacean Scientific  

/ sĭ-tā′shən /

1. Any of various, often very large aquatic mammals of the order Cetacea, having a hairless body that resembles that of a fish. Cetaceans have an elongated skull, a flat, horizontal tail, forelimbs modified into broad flippers, and no hind limbs. They breathe through blowholes located usually at the top of the skull. Whales, dolphins, and porpoises are cetaceans.

2. See more at baleen whale toothed whale

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Other Word Forms

• cetaceous adjective

Etymology

Origin of cetacean

1830–40; < New Latin Cetace ( a ) name of the order ( cet-, -acea ) + -an

Example Sentences

This marks the first time circoviruses have been detected in cetaceans from this region and adds to the growing list of viruses known to infect marine vertebrates.

From Science Daily

The drawings inject suspense even into Melville’s encyclopedic chapters on cetacean anatomy.

From The Wall Street Journal

They confirmed for the first time that a potentially deadly whale virus, known as cetacean morbillivirus, is circulating above the Arctic Circle.

From BBC

Roughly 6 million common dolphins inhabit tropical and temperate waters worldwide, making them the most numerous members of the cetacean family, which includes whales and porpoises.

From Science Daily

Marineland in Ontario had hoped to offload the cetaceans on a theme park in Zhuhai, after suffering years of animal welfare concerns and financial woes.

From BBC