noun
orca
OR-kuh/ˈɔːrkə/
A large black-and-white toothed whale.
The orca swims with its tall dorsal fin above its black-and-white body.
Etymology
Latin orca designated a kind of whale. Its use in scientific naming gave English the name for the particular black-and-white species also called the killer whale.
In context
there's an orca with a shark in its mouth, and it's right here at the island. MARY JANE: We were truly shocked, and we just could not wrap our minds around what we were observing.
More examples
- Orcas often travel in family groups called pods.
- The orca chases a salmon through the cold water.
- The guide points out two orcas near the shore.
Forms
orca · orcas
Similar words
- killer whale
- Names the same animal, rather than a separate species.