'Balaenoptera physalus' definitions:
Definition of 'Balaenoptera physalus'
(from WordNet)
noun
Large flat-headed whalebone whale having deep furrows along the throat; of Atlantic and Pacific [syn: finback, finback whale, fin whale, common rorqual, Balaenoptera physalus]
Definition of 'Balaenoptera physalus'
From: GCIDE
- Rorqual \Ror"qual\, n. [Norw. rorqualus a whale with folds.] (Zool.) A very large North Atlantic whalebone whale ({Physalus antiquorum}, or Balaenoptera physalus). It has a dorsal fin, and strong longitudinal folds on the throat and belly. Called also razorback. [1913 Webster]
- Note: It is one of the largest of the whales, somethimes becoming nearly one hundred feet long, but it is more slender than the right whales, and is noted for its swiftness. The name is sometimes applied to other related species of finback whales. [1913 Webster]