killer whale

noun

: a relatively small toothed whale (Orcinus orca of the family Delphinidae) that is black above with white underparts and white oval-shaped patches behind the eyes, attains a length of 20 to 30 feet (6 to 9 meters), typically hunts in groups, and preys chiefly on sea mammals (such as seals, sea lions, and other whales), large fish, and squid

called also orca

Examples of killer whale in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Boaters in the eastern Mediterranean Sea recently happened upon a rare pod of false killer whales, video footage shows. —Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 19 Mar. 2025

Aerial images show the pod of 157 false killer whales stranded on a remote beach in Tasmania. —Carl Zhang, NBC News, 19 Feb. 2025

Puget Sound, had an healthy population of chum salmon this fall, which strengthens the argument that the recent salmon hat sighting was a goofy killer whale’s response to abundance of food. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 25 Dec. 2024

Kelsey Williamson provided photos from the encounters, which are available on EurekAlert! CNN reported that the experts observed the killer whales strategically targeting young, still-growing whale sharks at feeding sites. —Rachel Raposas, People.com, 13 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1884, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for killer whale

• abigail
• cottontail
• countervail
• fingernail
• martingale
• mesoscale
• microscale
• monorail
• nanoscale
• ponytail
• swallowtail
• wensleydale

Kids Definition

killer whale

noun

kill·​er whale

ˈkil-ər-

: a flesh-eating mostly black toothed whale 20 to 30 feet (about 6 to 9 meters) long that travels in groups