cetacean

American  

[si-tey-shuhn] / sɪˈteɪ ʃən /

adjective

1. belonging to the Cetacea, an order of aquatic, chiefly marine mammals, including the whales and dolphins.

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noun

1. a cetacean mammal.

cetacean British  

/ sɪˈteɪʃən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or belonging to the Cetacea, an order of aquatic placental mammals having no hind limbs and a blowhole for breathing: includes toothed whales (dolphins, porpoises, etc) and whalebone whales (rorquals, right whales, etc)

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noun

1. a whale

cetacean Scientific  

/ sĭ-tā′shən /

1. Any of various, often very large aquatic mammals of the order Cetacea, having a hairless body that resembles that of a fish. Cetaceans have an elongated skull, a flat, horizontal tail, forelimbs modified into broad flippers, and no hind limbs. They breathe through blowholes located usually at the top of the skull. Whales, dolphins, and porpoises are cetaceans.

2. See more at baleen whale toothed whale

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Other Word Forms

• cetaceous adjective

Etymology

Origin of cetacean

1830–40; < New Latin Cetace ( a ) name of the order ( cet-, -acea ) + -an