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narwhal in British English
or narwal (ˈnɑːwəl) or narwhale (ˈnɑːˌweɪl)
noun
an arctic toothed whale, Monodon monoceros, having a black-spotted whitish skin and, in the male, a long spiral tusk: family Monodontidae
Word origin
C17: of Scandinavian origin; compare Danish, Norwegian narhval, from Old Norse nāhvalr, from nār corpse + hvalr whale, from its white colour, supposed to resemble a human corpsenarwhal in American English
(ˈnɑrwəl; ˈnɑrhwəl)
noun
an arctic toothed whale (Monodon monoceros) of the same family (Monodontidae) as the beluga, valued for its oil and ivory: the male has a long, spiral tusk extending from the upper jaw
: also ˈnarwal (ˈnɑrwəl), ˈnarˌwhale (ˈnɑrˌhweɪl) Word origin
< Scand, as in Norw & Dan narhval < ON nahvalr, lit., corpse (< IE base *nāu-, death, corpse) + hvalr, whale2 (with reference to the whitish underside)Image ofnarwhal
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