sei whale

[sey]

noun

a rorqual, Balaenoptera borealis, inhabiting all seas: now greatly reduced in number.

Origin of sei whale

1915–20; < Norwegian seihval, equivalent to sei (Old Norse seithr) coalfish + hval whale¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for sei whale

sei whale

noun

a rorqual, Balaenoptera borealis

Word Origin for sei whale

C20: from Norwegian seihval, from sei coalfish (see saithe) + hval whale: so called because it follows coalfish in search of food

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