pilot whale

American

noun

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

pilot whale British

noun

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

"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 pilot whale

First recorded in 1865–70

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.

Some 55 pilot whales washed up on Farewell Spit on Thursday.

From BBC

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

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

From Science Daily

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.

From BBC

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.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023