pilot whale

noun

1. a small, common whale, Globicephala sieboldii, of tropical and temperate seas, having a bulbous head.

pilot whale

noun

1. Also called: black whale.  blackfish. any of several black toothed whales of the genus Globicephala, such as G. melaena, that occur in all seas except polar seas: family Delphinidae

Word History and Origins

Origin of pilot whale¹

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

For short-finned pilot whales, which routinely plunge to depths of up to 1700m in search of squid, this information is especially valuable.

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Tasmania has seen a series of mass whale strandings in recent years - including the worst in Australian history, involving almost 500 pilot whales, in 2020.

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A pod of more than 30 pilot whales were rescued after being stranded on Ruakākā Beach near Whangārei in northern New Zealand on Sunday, officials say.

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The burial operation for a pod of 77 pilot whales that died after washing ashore in Orkney is under way.

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A pod of 77 pilot whales that died after washing ashore in Orkney were healthy before they became stranded, according to initial findings.

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