Balaenopteridae

plural noun

Bal·​ae·​nop·​ter·​i·​dae

-(ˌ)näpˈterəˌdē

: a family of whalebone whales that comprise the rorquals and humpbacks and are distinguished from the right whales by the dorsal fin, gular folds, and short whalebone

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Balaenoptera, type genus + -idae

First Known Use

circa 1925, in the meaning defined above

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