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sei whale

[ sey-hweyl, weyl ]
/ ˈseɪ ˌʰweɪl, ˌweɪl /

noun

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

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Also called sei .

Origin of sei whale

First recorded in 1915–20; from Norwegian seihval, equivalent to sei (Old Norse seithr ) “coalfish” + hval “whale”; see origin at whale1

Words nearby sei whale

seismometer, seismonasty, seismoscope, seitan, SEIU, sei whale, seize, seize on, seize up, seizing, seizure
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for sei whale

sei whale
/ (seɪ) /

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
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