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cetacean

   Also found in: Medical, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.01 sec.
ce·ta·cean  (s-tshn)
n.
Any of various aquatic, chiefly marine mammals of the order Cetacea, including the whales, dolphins, and porpoises, characterized by a nearly hairless body, anterior limbs modified into broad flippers, vestigial posterior limbs, and a flat notched tail.
adj. also ce·ta·ceous (s-tshs)
Of, relating to, or belonging to the order Cetacea.

[From New Latin Ctcea, order name, from Latin ctus, whale; see Cetus.]

cetacean [sɪˈteɪʃən]
adj also cetaceous
(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) of, relating to, or belonging to the Cetacea, an order of aquatic placental mammals having no hind limbs and a blowhole for breathing: includes toothed whales (dolphins, porpoises, etc.) and whalebone whales (rorquals, right whales, etc.)
n
(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) a whale
[from New Latin Cētācea, ultimately from Latin cētus whale, from Greek kētos]

cetacean  (s-tshn)
Any of various, often very large aquatic mammals of the order Cetacea, having a hairless body that resembles that of a fish. Cetaceans have an elongated skull, a flat, horizontal tail, forelimbs modified into broad flippers, and no hind limbs. They breathe through blowholes located usually at the top of the skull. Whales, dolphins, and porpoises are cetaceans. See more at baleen whaletoothed whale
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.cetaceancetacean - large aquatic carnivorous mammal with fin-like forelimbs no hind limbs, including: whales; dolphins; porpoises; narwhals
aquatic mammal - whales and dolphins; manatees and dugongs; walruses; seals
Cetacea, order Cetacea - an order of Eutheria
whale - any of the larger cetacean mammals having a streamlined body and breathing through a blowhole on the head
fluke - either of the two lobes of the tail of a cetacean
blowhole - the spiracle of a cetacean located far back on the skull
pod - a group of aquatic mammals
Adj.1.cetacean - of or relating to whales and dolphins etc
Translations
cetacean [sɪˈteɪʃɪən]
A. ADJcetáceo
B. Ncetáceo m
cetacean [sɪˈteɪʃən] ncétacé m
cetacean
nWal m, → Zetazee f (spec)
adjWal(fisch)-, Zetazeen- (spec)


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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
And though none of them precisely answer to any known species of the present time, they are yet sufficiently akin to them in general respects, to justify their taking ranks as Cetacean fossils.
The public demanded sharply that the seas should at any price be relieved from this formidable cetacean.
In plain prose, here are four whales as well known to the students of Cetacean History as Marius or Sylla to the classic scholar.
 
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