killer whale

American  

noun

• killer whales
  plural

1. any of several predatory dolphins, especially the black-and-white Orcinus orca, found in all seas.

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killer whale British  

noun

1. Also called: killer.   grampus.   orc.  a predatory black-and-white toothed whale, Orcinus orca, with a large erect dorsal fin, most common in cold seas: family Delphinidae

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• killer whales
  plural

Etymology

Origin of killer whale

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

killer whale

"These two communities of transient killer whale inhabit very different worlds and lead distinctly different lives," said Dr. Trites.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 20, 2025

The centre, which studies the Southern Resident killer whale and works on its conservation, said Tahlequah had now lost two out of four documented calves - both of which were female.

From BBC ● Jan. 2, 2025

A killer whale, which captured the world's attention in 2018 when it was spotted pushing the dead body of its newborn calf for 17 days, appears to be grieving again.

From BBC ● Jan. 2, 2025

The enhanced detail has allowed scientists to “look back through time,” Morin said, and answer questions about which killer whale populations are closely related — or not — and when differences emerged.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 29, 2024

Some of the men were morbidly convinced that a killer whale would crash upward through their dwindling floe, tossing them all into the water and picking them off one by one.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong