cetacean
noun
ce·ta·cean
si-ˈtā-shən 
: any of an order (Cetacea) of aquatic mostly marine mammals that includes the whales, dolphins, porpoises, and related forms and that have a torpedo-shaped nearly hairless body, paddle-shaped forelimbs but no hind limbs, one or two nares opening externally at the top of the head, and a horizontally flattened tail used for locomotion
cetacean
adjective
Examples of cetacean in a Sentence
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But unlike cetaceans, there came a point when thallatosuchian snout sinuses (particularly those of metriorhynchids) started to expand instead of shrink.
—
Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 30 Oct. 2024
So have several cetaceans—most famously, an orca known as Tahlequah, who, without the primate’s advantage of hands, carried her deceased infant on her back continuously for weeks, across more than a thousand miles of the Salish Sea.
—Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
Studying dolphin breath Scientists studying marine mammals and microplastic consumption have long speculated that inhalation was a way in which cetaceans could acquire microplastics in their bodies, similar to how humans have also been found to breathe in the small particles.
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 17 Oct. 2024
That’s because these blue whale bones are still leaking oil, despite the cetacean being dead for over two decades.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 16 Oct. 2024
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Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 30 Oct. 2024
So have several cetaceans—most famously, an orca known as Tahlequah, who, without the primate’s advantage of hands, carried her deceased infant on her back continuously for weeks, across more than a thousand miles of the Salish Sea.
—Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
Studying dolphin breath Scientists studying marine mammals and microplastic consumption have long speculated that inhalation was a way in which cetaceans could acquire microplastics in their bodies, similar to how humans have also been found to breathe in the small particles.
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 17 Oct. 2024
That’s because these blue whale bones are still leaking oil, despite the cetacean being dead for over two decades.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 16 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cetacean
Dictionary Entries Near cetacean
Cite this Entry
“Cetacean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cetacean. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cetacean
noun
ce·ta·cean
si-ˈtā-shən
: any of an order of aquatic mammals (as a whale, dolphin, or porpoise)
cetacean
adjective
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