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

This toothed whale is still common in nearly all parts of Hudson Bay, and considerable numbers are taken by means of nets at Fort Churchill.

From A Journey from Prince of Wales's Fort in Hudson's Bay to the Northern Ocean in the Years 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772 New Edition with Introduction, Notes, and Illustrations by Tyrrell, J. B.