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

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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More than 100 long-finned pilot whales stranded along the shores of Western Australia on Thursday have returned to the ocean, while 29 died on the beach, wildlife officials said.

Read more on New York Times