BLACK WHALE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does black whale mean? 

• BLACK WHALE (noun)
  The noun BLACK WHALE has 2 senses:

1. small dark-colored whale of the Atlantic coast of the United States; the largest male acts as pilot or leader for the school

2. large whale with a large cavity in the head containing spermaceti and oil; also a source of ambergris

  Familiarity information: BLACK WHALE used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BLACK WHALE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Small dark-colored whale of the Atlantic coast of the United States; the largest male acts as pilot or leader for the school

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Synonyms:

black whale; blackfish; common blackfish; Globicephala melaena; pilot whale

Hypernyms ("black whale" is a kind of...):

dolphin (any of various small toothed whales with a beaklike snout; larger than porpoises)

Holonyms ("black whale" is a member of...):

genus Globicephala; Globicephala (pilot whales)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Large whale with a large cavity in the head containing spermaceti and oil; also a source of ambergris

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Synonyms:

black whale; cachalot; Physeter catodon; sperm whale

Hypernyms ("black whale" is a kind of...):

toothed whale (any of several whales having simple conical teeth and feeding on fish etc.)

Holonyms ("black whale" is a member of...):

genus Physeter; Physeter (type genus of the Physeteridae)