cetacean

/sɪˈteɪʃən/

Other forms: cetaceans

A cetacean is a member of the family of large aquatic mammals such as whales, dolphins, and porpoises. They have tails rather than hind limbs, and they have flippers instead of forearms.

The word cetacean comes from the Latin word cetus, which was used to refer to any large sea creature, and the Greek word ketos, which was a sea monster or whale. The suffix acea means "of the nature of," so cetacean describes a creature belonging to the family of whales or dolphins. As an adjective, the word is used to describe things related to this group. If you like whales and dolphins, you may enjoy cetacean stories like "Moby Dick."

Definitions of cetacean

1. noun

   a large aquatic carnivorous mammal with fin-like forelimbs and no hind limbs such as whales, dolphins, and porpoises
   synonyms: blower, cetacean mammal

   types:

   whale

   any of the larger cetacean mammals having a streamlined body and breathing through a blowhole on the head

   baleen whale, whalebone whale

   whale with plates of whalebone along the upper jaw for filtering plankton from the water

   toothed whale

   any of several whales having simple conical teeth and feeding on fish etc.

   Monodon monoceros, narwal, narwhal, narwhale

   an Arctic cetacean, the male of which has a long ivory tusk

   spouter

   a spouting whale

   type of:

   aquatic mammal

   whales and dolphins; manatees and dugongs; walruses; seals
2. adjective

   relating to whales, dolphins, and other aquatic carnivorous mammals
   synonyms: cetaceous