toothed whale

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Word: Toothed Whale

Part of Speech: Noun

Definition: A "toothed whale" is a type of whale that has teeth instead of baleen (which is a filter-feeding system). These whales typically have conical (cone-shaped) teeth and they usually eat fish and other marine animals.

Usage Instructions:

• "Toothed whale" is used when talking about certain kinds of whales that hunt and eat using their teeth.
• It is not used to describe whales that have baleen, like blue whales or humpback whales.

Example Sentence:

• "The orca, also known as the killer whale, is a type of toothed whale that is known for its intelligence and social behavior."

Advanced Usage:

• In scientific contexts, the term "toothed whales" can refer to the suborder "Odontoceti," which includes species like dolphins and sperm whales.

Word Variants:

• Tooth (noun): A hard structure in the mouth used for biting and chewing.
• Toothless (adjective): Lacking teeth; can be used metaphorically to describe something ineffective or powerless.

Different Meanings:

• "Toothed" can refer to something that has teeth or jagged edges, such as a saw or a gear.
• "Whale" can also refer to something very large or an impressive feat, as in "whale of a time."

Synonyms:

• "Odontocete" (the scientific term for toothed whales)
• "Dolphin" (while not all dolphins are considered toothed whales, they belong to the same category)

Related Terms:

• Baleen Whale: A type of whale that filters food from water using baleen plates instead of teeth.
• Cetacean: The broader category that includes all whales, dolphins, and porpoises.

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• There are no specific idioms or phrasal verbs that directly involve "toothed whale," but you might hear phrases like "whale of a tale," which means a very large or exaggerated story.

Summary:

A "toothed whale" is a whale that has teeth and primarily eats fish and other marine animals. It is part of a larger group of sea mammals known as cetaceans.

Academic

Noun

1. any of several whales having simple conical teeth and feeding on fish etc.