rorqual

Etymology

From Norwegian røyrkval, from Old Norse reyðarhvalr.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɹɒɹkwəl/

• Audio (US)

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Noun

rorqual (plural rorquals)

1. Any whale with longitudinal skin folds running from below the mouth to the navel, allowing the capacity of the mouth to expand greatly when feeding.
   • 1873 – Jules Verne, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Ch. 1 (transl. by F. P. Walter)

     Now then, the biggest whales, those rorqual whales that frequent the waterways of the Aleutian Islands, have never exceeded a length of 56 meters--if they reach even that.

See also

• baleen

Noun

rorqual m (plural rorquals)

1. rorqual (any whale species with long skin folds below mouth)

Etymology

Borrowed from Norwegian røyrkval (“furrow whale”), from Old Norse reyðarhvalr

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʁɔʁ.kal/

Noun

rorqual m (plural rorquals)

1. rorqual

Further reading

• “rorqual” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Noun

rorqual m (plural rorquais)

1. rorqual (any whale species with long skin folds below mouth)