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rorqual definition

ror·qual (rôr′kwəl)

noun

any of a family (Balaenopteridae) of baleen whales with a well-developed dorsal fin and longitudinal furrows on its belly and throat; esp., any of a genus (Balaenoptera) that includes the sei whale and blue whale

Etymology: Fr < Norw röyrkval < ON reytharhvalr < reythr, rorqual (prob. akin to rautha < IE base *reudh-, red) + hvalr, whale: hence lit., red whale, from the reddish streaks in the skin

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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