MEANING
A mammal of the group containing whales, dolphins, and porpoises; as an adjective, relating to that group.
Use it for
grouping whales dolphins and porpoises; describing shared features of these marine mammals; distinguishing them from seals and other sea mammalsGroups whales, dolphins, and porpoises without incorrectly including seals or all sea mammals. Writing functions: Whales dolphins and porpoises.
Words that belong together
- cetacean behavior
- cetacean conservation
- a stranded cetacean
On the page
The observers recorded every cetacean seen from the survey boat.
Cetacean calls carried through the water long after the animals vanished.
Word forms
- Base
- cetacean
Usage notes
Countable noun: cetacean, cetaceans. Also an adjective with the same spelling; adjective has no plural. Register: technical. Commonness: moderately common in marine writing (dictionary-informed qualitative editorial estimate; not a measured frequency).
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