sei whale

[ sey hweyl, weyl ]

noun

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

sei whale

/ seɪ /

noun

1. a rorqual, Balaenoptera borealis

Word History and Origins

Origin of sei whale¹

First recorded in 1915–20; from Norwegian seihval, equivalent to sei ( Old Norse seithr ) “coalfish” + hval “whale”; whale ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of sei whale¹

C20: from Norwegian seihval, from sei coalfish (see saithe ) + hval whale: so called because it follows coalfish in search of food