Cetaceans are animals such as whales, dolphins, and porpoises.
cetacean in British English
(sɪˈteɪʃən)
adjective also: cetaceous
1.
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)
noun
2.
a whale
Word origin
C19: from New Latin Cētācea, ultimately from Latin cētus whale, from Greek kētos
cetacean in American English
(səˈteɪʃən)
noun
1.
in some systems of classification, any of an order (Cetacea) of nearly hairless, fishlike water mammals, lacking external hind limbs, but having paddlelike forelimbs, including whales, porpoises, and dolphins
adjective
2.
of the cetaceans
: also ceˈtaceous (səˈteɪʃəs)
Word origin
< ModL < L cetus, large sea animal, whale < Gr kētos + -acea + -an
Examples of 'cetacean' in a sentence
cetacean
Chas watches the storm clouds crawl downslope toward his cetacean throne, his face impassive.