beluga

[ buh-loo-guh ]

noun

1. Also called hausen. a white sturgeon, Huso huso, of the Black and Caspian seas, valued as a source of caviar and isinglass.
2. Also called sea canary, white whale. a cetacean, Delphinapterus leucas, of northern seas, that has a rounded head and is white when adult.

beluga

/ bɪˈluːɡə /

noun

1. a large white sturgeon, Acipenser (or Huso ) huso , of the Black and Caspian Seas: a source of caviar and isinglass
2. another name for white whale

Word History and Origins

Origin of beluga¹

1585–95; < Russian belúga (now regularly belúkha for the cetacean), equivalent to bél ( yĭ ) white + -uga, probably earlier *-ǫga (compare Czech pstruh, Polish pstrąg trout < *pĭstr- mottled + *-ǫgŭ a cognate suffix)

Word History and Origins

Origin of beluga¹

C18: from Russian byeluga , from byely white

Example Sentences

The sighting was unusual because the beluga was so tame and they're rarely seen as far south.

From BBC

One Whale was founded to track the beluga, which rose to fame after being spotted in Norwegian waters five years ago.

From BBC

A beluga whale suspected of having been trained as a spy by Russia has been found dead off the Norwegian coast.

From BBC

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

They found females of five "menopausal" species - narwhals and beluga, short-finned pilot, false killer and killer whales - lived about four decades longer than other toothed whales.

From BBC

Related Words

• mammal
• porpoise