Whale louse

Whale louse
Whale Whale, n. [OE. whal, AS. hw[ae]l; akin to D. walvisch, G. wal, walfisch, OHG. wal, Icel. hvalr, Dan. & Sw. hval, hvalfisk. Cf. {Narwhal}, {Walrus}.] (Zo["o]l.) Any aquatic mammal of the order {Cetacea}, especially any one of the large species, some of which become nearly one hundred feet long. Whales are hunted chiefly for their oil and baleen, or whalebone. [1913 Webster]

Note: The existing whales are divided into two groups: the toothed whales ({Odontocete}), including those that have teeth, as the cachalot, or sperm whale (see {Sperm whale}); and the baleen, or whalebone, whales ({Mysticete}), comprising those that are destitute of teeth, but have plates of baleen hanging from the upper jaw, as the right whales. The most important species of whalebone whales are the bowhead, or Greenland, whale (see Illust. of {Right whale}), the Biscay whale, the Antarctic whale, the gray whale (see under {Gray}), the humpback, the finback, and the rorqual. [1913 Webster]

{Whale bird}. (Zo["o]l.) (a) Any one of several species of large Antarctic petrels which follow whaling vessels, to feed on the blubber and floating oil; especially, {Prion turtur} (called also {blue petrel}), and {Pseudoprion desolatus}. (b) The turnstone; -- so called because it lives on the carcasses of whales. [Canada]

{Whale fin} (Com.), whalebone. --Simmonds.

{Whale fishery}, the fishing for, or occupation of taking, whales.

{Whale louse} (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of degraded amphipod crustaceans belonging to the genus {Cyamus}, especially {Cyamus ceti}. They are parasitic on various cetaceans.

{Whale's bone}, ivory. [Obs.]

{Whale shark}. (Zo["o]l.) (a) The basking, or liver, shark. (b) A very large harmless shark ({Rhinodon typicus}) native of the Indian Ocean. It sometimes becomes sixty feet long.

{Whale shot}, the name formerly given to spermaceti.

{Whale's tongue} (Zo["o]l.), a balanoglossus. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Whale louse — Whale lice male Cyamus ovalis Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia …   Wikipedia

  • whale louse — noun amphipod crustacean parasitic on cetaceans • Hypernyms: ↑amphipod • Member Holonyms: ↑Cyamus, ↑genus Cyamus * * * noun 1. : any of several degenerate amphipod crustaceans (genus Cya …   Useful english dictionary

  • whale louse — ▪ crustacean plural  Whale Lice        (family Cyamidae), any of a small group of highly specialized peracaridan crustaceans (order Amphipoda) related to the familiar skeleton shrimp found in shallow marine habitats. whale lice are external… …   Universalium

  • Louse — (lous), n.; pl. {Lice} (l[imac]s). [OE. lous, AS. l[=u]s, pl. l[=y]s; akin to D. luis, G. laus, OHG. l[=u]s, Icel. l[=u]s, Sw. lus, Dan. luus; perh. so named because it is destructive, and akin to E. lose, loose.] (Zo[ o]l.) 1. Any one of… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Louse fly — Louse Louse (lous), n.; pl. {Lice} (l[imac]s). [OE. lous, AS. l[=u]s, pl. l[=y]s; akin to D. luis, G. laus, OHG. l[=u]s, Icel. l[=u]s, Sw. lus, Dan. luus; perh. so named because it is destructive, and akin to E. lose, loose.] (Zo[ o]l.) 1. Any… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Louse mite — Louse Louse (lous), n.; pl. {Lice} (l[imac]s). [OE. lous, AS. l[=u]s, pl. l[=y]s; akin to D. luis, G. laus, OHG. l[=u]s, Icel. l[=u]s, Sw. lus, Dan. luus; perh. so named because it is destructive, and akin to E. lose, loose.] (Zo[ o]l.) 1. Any… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Whale — Whale, n. [OE. whal, AS. hw[ae]l; akin to D. walvisch, G. wal, walfisch, OHG. wal, Icel. hvalr, Dan. & Sw. hval, hvalfisk. Cf. {Narwhal}, {Walrus}.] (Zo[ o]l.) Any aquatic mammal of the order {Cetacea}, especially any one of the large species,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Whale bird — Whale Whale, n. [OE. whal, AS. hw[ae]l; akin to D. walvisch, G. wal, walfisch, OHG. wal, Icel. hvalr, Dan. & Sw. hval, hvalfisk. Cf. {Narwhal}, {Walrus}.] (Zo[ o]l.) Any aquatic mammal of the order {Cetacea}, especially any one of the large… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Whale fin — Whale Whale, n. [OE. whal, AS. hw[ae]l; akin to D. walvisch, G. wal, walfisch, OHG. wal, Icel. hvalr, Dan. & Sw. hval, hvalfisk. Cf. {Narwhal}, {Walrus}.] (Zo[ o]l.) Any aquatic mammal of the order {Cetacea}, especially any one of the large… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Whale fishery — Whale Whale, n. [OE. whal, AS. hw[ae]l; akin to D. walvisch, G. wal, walfisch, OHG. wal, Icel. hvalr, Dan. & Sw. hval, hvalfisk. Cf. {Narwhal}, {Walrus}.] (Zo[ o]l.) Any aquatic mammal of the order {Cetacea}, especially any one of the large… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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