ror·qual

(rôr′kwəl)

Any of several baleen whales of the family Balaenopteridae having longitudinal grooves on the throat and a small, pointed dorsal fin, and including the blue whale and the humpback whale.

[French, from Norwegian rørhval, from Old Norse reydharhvalr : reydhr, rorqual (from raudhr, red; see reudh- in Indo-European roots) + hvalr, whale.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

rorqual

(ˈrɔːkwəl)

(Animals) any of several whalebone whales of the genus Balaenoptera, esp B. physalus: family Balaenopteridae. They have a dorsal fin and a series of grooves along the throat and chest. Also called: finback

[C19: from French, from Norwegian rörhval, from Old Norse reytharhvalr, from reythr (from rauthr red) + hvalr whale]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ror•qual

(ˈrɔr kwəl)

n.

any of several whales of the genus Balaenoptera; finback.

[1820–30; < French < Norwegian rørkval, Old Norse reytharhvalr=reyth(a)r rorqual (akin to rauthr red) + hvalr whale¹]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

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

razorback

baleen whale, whalebone whale - whale with plates of whalebone along the upper jaw for filtering plankton from the water

Balaenopteridae, family Balaenopteridae - rorquals; blue whales

Balaenoptera physalus, common rorqual, fin whale, finback, finback whale - large flat-headed whalebone whale having deep furrows along the throat; of Atlantic and Pacific

Balaenoptera borealis, sei whale - similar to but smaller than the finback whale

Balaenoptera acutorostrata, lesser rorqual, minke whale, piked whale - small finback of coastal waters of Atlantic and Pacific

Translations

balenottera

Mentioned in

References in periodicals archive

The Bryde's whale, scientifically known as Balaenoptera edeni, is among the three rorqual or baleen whales found in Pakistani waters.

Whale found dead on Gwadar coast, cause of death unknown

He said that it seemed that the whale had collided with a ship and was fatally injured.The Bryde's whale, scientifically known as Balaenoptera edeni, is among the three rorqual or baleen whales found in Pakistani waters.

Whale's carcass found on Gwadar coast

'The whale is belly up and the black and white stripes you see are the pigmentation of the rorqual pleats (throat pleats),' she explained to INQUIRER.net.

LOOK: Sharks spotted eating whale during whale-watching cruise

WHAT is a rorqual? WHERE is the industrial port of Catania?

Time out extra

Estimated abundance is highest for delphinid species and lowest for the killer whale (Orcinus orca) and rorqual species.

Abundance estimates of cetaceans from a line-transect survey within the U.S. Hawaiian Islands Exclusive Economic Zone

A San Francisco B Philadelpia C Chicago D Boston QUESTION 9 - for 9 points: What is a rorqual? A A storm at sea B A species of whale C A wizard's curse D A prime number QUESTION 10 - for 10 points: Which football team plays at Ashton Gate?

The Accumulator Quiz; Each question has four possible answers and is worth from one to 15 points. Circle your chosen answers and keep a record of your points total. Maximum total points 120

If these characteristics were not identified or seen, the whale was classified as a non-identified (NI) rorqual.

Ocorrencia de mamiferos marinhos no verao austral em aguas profundas da Convergencia Subtropical no Atlantico Sul Ocidental, Argentina

Mots cies: rorqual commun, Bakzenoptera physalus, mer des Tchouktches, distribution, detection, surveillance acoustique passive, chant, evaluation de stock

Acoustic occurrence and affiliation of fin whales detected in the northeastern Chukchi Sea, July to October 2007-10

28 ( ANI ): Blue whales are now the only known rorqual whales that can complete a full circle roll when feeding on krill, a study has revealed.

Blue whales execute acrobatic '360-degree rolls' to feed

The catch of the fastest and heaviest cetaceans--the rorqual whales--was lastly made possible by steam-powered ships and harpoon cannons, and, subsequently, by the extensive use of radio communication and airplanes (later helicopters) to spot individuals.

Declaring whales' rights