rorqual

[rawr-kwuhl]

noun

1. any of several whales of the genus Balaenoptera; finback.

rorqual

/ ˈrɔːkwəl /

noun

1. Also called: finback. any of several whalebone whales of the genus Balaenoptera , esp B. physalus : family Balaenopteridae . They have a dorsal fin and a series of grooves along the throat and chest

Word History and Origins

Origin of rorqual¹

1820–30; < French < Norwegian rørkval, Old Norse reytharhvalr, equivalent to reyth ( a ) r rorqual (akin to rauthr red ¹ ) + hvalr whale ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of rorqual¹

C19: from French, from Norwegian rörhval , from Old Norse reytharhvalr , from reythr (from rauthr red) + hvalr whale

Example Sentences

She’d like to see a different family of whales examined for comparison, as the three individuals studied were all juvenile rorqual whales.

Read more on National Geographic

New research provides a fuller understanding of this species, focusing on a foraging behavior called lunge-feeding that it shares with the other members of its cetacean group, the rorqual whales.

Read more on Reuters

Lunge-feeding whales are also called rorqual whales and include two of the largest animals on Earth — the blue and fin whales.

Read more on New York Times

Suddenly, the rorquals had the prey supply they needed to grow.

Read more on Scientific American

Like other rorqual whales, humpbacks’ throats expand in rubbery pleats reaching down to their navels.

Read more on The Guardian

Related Words

• mammal 
• porpoise