Balaenoptera

plural noun

Bal·​ae·​nop·​tera

-ˈnäptərə

: a genus (the type of the family Balaenopteridae) of whalebone whales that comprises the rorquals

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from balaeno- (from Latin balaena whale) + -ptera

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined above

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