rorqual

/'rɔ:kwəl/

Thân thiện

A rorqual surfaces in the open ocean to breathe.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A type of baleen whale: A rorqual is any of several large baleen whales belonging to the family Balaenopteridae. They are characterized by having longitudinal grooves or pleats on their throat and a small, pointed dorsal fin.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The blue whale is the largest known rorqual.
  • Scientists observed a pod of rorquals feeding near the surface.

Advanced Usage

• In scientific classification: The term "rorqual" is used to group whales with specific anatomical features, such as the blue whale, fin whale, and humpback whale, under the family Balaenopteridae.
  • The study focused on the migratory patterns of the fin whale, a common rorqual in the North Atlantic.

Variants and Related Words

• Balaenopterid (noun): A technical synonym for a whale of the family Balaenopteridae; a rorqual.
  • The museum's skeleton is from a large balaenopterid.

Synonyms

• Baleen whale: A broader category of whales that have baleen plates for filtering food, which includes rorquals.
• Great whale: A general term for large whales, often encompassing rorquals.

Related Phrases

• Rorqual whale: A common compound phrase used to specify the type of whale.
  • The rorqual whale population is slowly recovering.

Related Idioms

(This word is a specific scientific term and is not commonly used in idiomatic expressions.)

Học thuật

Noun

1. any of several baleen whales of the family Balaenopteridae having longitudinal grooves on the throat and a small pointed dorsal fin

Từ đồng nghĩa

• razorback