toothed whale

American  

[tootht hweyl, weyl, toothd] / ˈtuθt ˈʰweɪl, ˈweɪl, ˈtuðd /

noun

1. any whale of the suborder Odontoceti, having conical teeth in one or both jaws and feeding on fish, squid, etc.

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toothed whale British  

noun

1. any whale belonging to the cetacean suborder Odontoceti, having a single blowhole and numerous simple teeth and feeding on fish, smaller mammals, molluscs, etc: includes dolphins and porpoises Compare whalebone whale

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toothed whale Scientific  

/ to̅o̅tht,to̅o̅thd /

1. Any of various whales of the suborder Odontoceti, having an asymmetrical skull with one blowhole and numerous cone-shaped teeth. Toothed whales include the sperm, beluga, pilot, and beaked whales, and the narwhal, orca (killer whale), dolphins, and porpoises.

2. Compare baleen whale

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Etymology

Origin of toothed whale

First recorded in 1835–45

Example Sentences

Menopause is known to exist in five species of toothed whale: short-finned pilot whales, false killer whales, killer whales, narwhals and beluga whales.

From Science Daily • Mar. 13, 2024

As the study authors explain, baleen whales and their toothed whale cousins could not survive with the larynxes from their land mammal ancestors.

From Salon • Feb. 23, 2024

The sperm whale, a type of toothed whale, also makes a significant contribution of seven million metric tons.

From Scientific American • Mar. 8, 2023

Sperm whales, the largest toothed whale, were nearly decimated by the whaling industry in the 19th and 20th centuries.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 16, 2023

The third, the sperm whale, is a toothed whale.

From Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises of the Western North Atlantic A Guide to Their Identification by Caldwell, David