different between cetacean vs narwhal

English

Wikispecies

Etymology

From New Latin cetacea, from Latin cetus (“whale”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /s??te???n/
• Rhymes: -e???n

Adjective

cetacean (comparative more cetacean, superlative most cetacean)

1. Pertaining to the zoologic order Cetacea, or associated with species falling under that taxonomic hierarchy.

   The poached blubber was definitely cetacean in origin, but the particular species could not be identified.

   • 2012, Hampton Roads Republican US Senate Debate Summary:

     She was not as demure as she was in Roanoke; she seemed at the beginning rather like she felt more comfortable in the oceanic atmosphere harpooning her opponent. Indeed, at times, it seemed she was Ahab and the witherwin Allen was her Moby Dick; but while she sails her Pequod just as intently toward a singular goal, her alastor is much less clear and she bears no visible scars of a cetacean attacker.

2. (by extension, sometimes figuratively) Resembling or relating to large aquatic mammals.

   The obese woman, ungainly on land, moved with a kind of cetacean grace in the water.

Synonyms

• (belonging to order Cetacea): cetaceous

Noun

cetacean (plural cetaceans)

1. An animal belonging to the order Cetacea, including dolphins, porpoises, and whales.

   The tour promised spiritual experiences with humpback whales and other cetaceans, but all we saw were seagulls and a dead sea otter.

Translations

English

Wikispecies

Alternative forms

• narwal, narwhale

Etymology

From Dutch narwal or Danish/Norwegian Bokmål narhval, from Old Norse náhvalr, from nár (“corpse”) + hvalr (“whale”). Compare Icelandic náhvalur.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?n????l/, /?n??w?l/, /?n????e?l/, /?n???we?l/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?n????l/, /?n??w?l/, /?n????e?l/, /?n???we?l/, /?n????l/, /?n??w?l/

Noun

narwhal (plural narwhals or narwhal)

1. Monodon monoceros, an Arctic cetacean that grows to about 20 feet (6 meters) long, the male having a single horn-like tusk, a twisted, pointed canine tooth that projects forward.
   • 1986, D. E. Sergeant, Chapter 16: Sea Mammals, I. P. Martini (editor), Canadian Inland Seas, page 337,

     Moreover, both narwhals and bowheads can occur in late summer in southern Prince Regent Inlet (coming from Lancaster Sound) and may reach Fury and Hecla Strait and northern Foxe Basin.

   • 1988, Tristan Jones, Somewheres East of Suez, unnumbered page,

     Often, in the morning, narwhals played around the boat and reminded me of the dolphins, so far away in the North Atlantic. But these narwhals were not like the Atlantic sea-dogs; they had little of their flashing vibrancy; these Turkish narwhals were much more relaxed, and rolled over lazily, with a sigh, as if they were going to retire to a sofa and smoke a hookah.

   • 2000, Richard C. Connor, Andrew J. Read, Richard Wrangham, 10: Male Reproductive Strategies and Social Bonds, Janet Mann (editor), Cetacean Societies: Field Studies of Dolphins and Whales, page 247,

     At over 2.5 m in length, the tusk of the male narwhal (Monodon monoceros) is one the most impressive instruments of male-male competition among mammals.

   Synonym: sea unicorn

Translations

Manx

Etymology

From English narwhal, from Old Norse náhvalr.

Noun

narwhal m (genitive singular narwhal)

1. narwhal

   Synonym: whale feeacklagh