narwhale

2 definitions found

narwhale - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Narwhal \Nar"whal\ (n[aum]r"hw[.a]l), n. [Sw. or Dan. narvhal;
     akin to Icel. n[=a]hvalr, and E. whale. the first syllable is
     perh. from Icel. n[=a]r corpse, dead body, in allusion to the
     whitish color its skin. See Whale.] [Written also
     narwhale and narwal.] (Zool.)
     An arctic cetacean (Monodon monocerous), about twenty feet
     long. The male usually has one long, twisted, pointed canine
     tooth, or tusk, projecting forward from the upper jaw like a
     horn, whence it is called also sea unicorn, unicorn fish,
     and unicorn whale. Sometimes two horns are developed, side
     by side.
     [1913 Webster]

narwhale - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  narwhale
      n 1: small Arctic whale the male having a long spiral ivory tusk
           [syn: narwhal, narwal, narwhale, Monodon monoceros]