orca

noun

or·ca ˈȯr-kə How to pronounce orca (audio)

plural orcas or orca

: a relatively small toothed whale (Orcinus orca of the family Delphinidae) that is black above with white underparts and white oval-shaped patches behind the eyes : killer whale

Orcas are … the most agile and streamlined of the cetaceans. Found throughout the world, they are intelligent, social, and matriarchal.

Marguerite Holloway

At the end of the food chain sustained by the krill is the orca … a spectacular animal patterned in black and white, that hunts in groups of up to thirty or forty, feeding on penguins, porpoises and seals.

John Vandenbeld

There they were, wild orcas. Adrenaline rushed through my body, but I clung to the dock. I knew nothing of these waters or this northern wilderness.

Alexandra Morton

… nowhere in the world are orca easier to see than on Puget Sound, where new whale-watching cruises bring you close to one of the few resident populations.

Sunset

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Ironically, this collaboration, which may have lasted for thousands of years and was still ongoing in the 19th century, saw orca pods herding humpback and right whales toward their doom.

Richard Lea, WSJ, 14 Sep. 2022 Last summer, Amaya, a 6-year-old orca, died at SeaWord San Diego after showing sudden signs of illness the day before.

Alexandra Schonfeld, Peoplemag, 31 Aug. 2022 The orca subpopulation living in the waters around the Iberian Peninsula consisted of just 39 individuals in 2011.

Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Aug. 2022 Faster than any shark alive today and big enough to eat an orca in just five bites: A new study suggests the extinct shark known as a megalodon was an even more impressive superpredator than scientists realized before.

Zoe Sottile, CNN, 20 Aug. 2022 The model megalodon’s jaws could open wide enough to gobble a 26-foot orca in as few as five bites.

New York Times, 17 Aug. 2022 Law enforcement, environmental agencies and a whale advocacy group have joined forces in Washington state, where a massive oil spill continues to pollute waters that are home to an endangered breed of orca as well as other marine species.

Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 15 Aug. 2022 Since 1970, the 56-year-old orca has been residing and performing in what has been described as the smallest tank for captive killer whales in North America, per the outlet.

Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 15 Aug. 2022 In May, an orca – also known as a killer whale – swam up the Seine after being separated from its pod.

Scott Gleeson, USA TODAY, 11 Aug. 2022 See More

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin, a genus name, earlier a specific epithet (Delphinus orca, Linnaeus), going back to Latin, "a marine mammal, probably Risso's dolphin," borrowed (perhaps via Etruscan) from Greek oryg-, óryx "kind of marine mammal" — more at oryx

Note: The Roman grammarian Sextus Pompeius Festus assumed that the form of the Latin word reflected a different word orca, "kind of narrow-necked earthenware vessel," from the animal's supposed resemblance to the vase.

First Known Use

1726, in the meaning defined above

单词	orca
释义	orca noun or·ca ˈȯr-kə plural orcas or orca : a relatively small toothed whale (Orcinus orca of the family Delphinidae) that is black above with white underparts and white oval-shaped patches behind the eyes : killer whale Orcas are … the most agile and streamlined of the cetaceans. Found throughout the world, they are intelligent, social, and matriarchal. Marguerite Holloway At the end of the food chain sustained by the krill is the orca … a spectacular animal patterned in black and white, that hunts in groups of up to thirty or forty, feeding on penguins, porpoises and seals. John Vandenbeld There they were, wild orcas. Adrenaline rushed through my body, but I clung to the dock. I knew nothing of these waters or this northern wilderness. Alexandra Morton … nowhere in the world are orca easier to see than on Puget Sound, where new whale-watching cruises bring you close to one of the few resident populations. Sunset Example Sentences Recent Examples on the Web Ironically, this collaboration, which may have lasted for thousands of years and was still ongoing in the 19th century, saw orca pods herding humpback and right whales toward their doom. Richard Lea, WSJ, 14 Sep. 2022 Last summer, Amaya, a 6-year-old orca, died at SeaWord San Diego after showing sudden signs of illness the day before. Alexandra Schonfeld, Peoplemag, 31 Aug. 2022 The orca subpopulation living in the waters around the Iberian Peninsula consisted of just 39 individuals in 2011. Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Aug. 2022 Faster than any shark alive today and big enough to eat an orca in just five bites: A new study suggests the extinct shark known as a megalodon was an even more impressive superpredator than scientists realized before. Zoe Sottile, CNN, 20 Aug. 2022 The model megalodon’s jaws could open wide enough to gobble a 26-foot orca in as few as five bites. New York Times, 17 Aug. 2022 Law enforcement, environmental agencies and a whale advocacy group have joined forces in Washington state, where a massive oil spill continues to pollute waters that are home to an endangered breed of orca as well as other marine species. Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 15 Aug. 2022 Since 1970, the 56-year-old orca has been residing and performing in what has been described as the smallest tank for captive killer whales in North America, per the outlet. Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 15 Aug. 2022 In May, an orca – also known as a killer whale – swam up the Seine after being separated from its pod. Scott Gleeson, USA TODAY, 11 Aug. 2022 See More Word History Etymology borrowed from New Latin, a genus name, earlier a specific epithet (Delphinus orca, Linnaeus), going back to Latin, "a marine mammal, probably Risso's dolphin," borrowed (perhaps via Etruscan) from Greek oryg-, óryx "kind of marine mammal" — more at oryx Note: The Roman grammarian Sextus Pompeius Festus assumed that the form of the Latin word reflected a different word orca, "kind of narrow-necked earthenware vessel," from the animal's supposed resemblance to the vase. First Known Use 1726, in the meaning defined above Kids Definition orca noun or·ca ˈȯr-kə : killer whale
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orca

noun

Example Sentences

Word History

Kids Definition

noun