toothed whale

noun

ˈtütht- How to pronounce toothed whale (audio)
ˈtü-thəd-
: any of a suborder (Odontoceti) of cetaceans (such as a dolphin, porpoise, or killer whale) bearing usually numerous simple conical teeth compare baleen whale

Examples of toothed whale in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Dolphins in turn are a type of toothed whale, a group that includes porpoises, beaked whales and sperm whales. — Ramon Padilla, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2025 This behavior could date back over 34 million years to the last common ancestor of these toothed whale species. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 26 Mar. 2026 The cooperative behavior observed among the whales may reflect ancient evolutionary traits in toothed whales. — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2026 By creating a kind of prehistoric food web, the researchers placed animals like sea bream (which eat mussels and crustaceans) at the bottom, followed by smaller sharks and extinct toothed whales the size of modern dolphins. — Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for toothed whale

Word History

First Known Use

1843, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of toothed whale was in 1843

Rhymes for toothed whale

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Browse Nearby Words

toothed spurge
toothed whale
toother
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Cite this Entry

“Toothed whale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toothed%20whale. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

toothed whale

noun
: any of a group of whales, dolphins, and porpoises with numerous sharp cone-shaped teeth compare baleen whale

More from Merriam-Webster on toothed whale

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about toothed whale

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