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orca

American  
[awr-kuh] / ˈɔr kə /

noun

  1. the killer whale, Orcinus orca.


orca British  
/ ˈɔːkə /

noun

  1. a killer whale

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of orca

First recorded in 1650–60; from New Latin, former taxonomic name, from Latin, a kind of whale, perhaps a grampus, from Greek óryga (accusative of óryx ), a kind of large fish, perhaps a narwhal. The g became c under the influence of Latin orca, a kind of large earthenware vessel with a narrow neck; orc

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

An international research team has discovered two previously unknown viruses in short-finned pilot whales and orcas from the Caribbean region of the North Atlantic Ocean.

From Science Daily

"One of the sightings reported a group of single male outer coast orcas slapping each other with their dorsal fins and charging at inner coast females."

From Science Daily

A group of orcas in the Gulf of California has been filmed using remarkable skill to hunt young great white sharks, flipping them onto their backs to reach the nutrient-packed liver.

From Science Daily

Two weeks ago Pannier-Runacher released another Instagram video in which she tried to allay fears about the orcas' welfare and said regular inspections of the pools were taking place.

From BBC

Juneau is arguably the whale watching capital of Alaska, with humpback whales traveling from Hawaii to the area every summer, along with resident and migratory orcas, so whale watching was high on our list.

From Salon