[ 'rɔ:kw(ə)l ]
■ noun a baleen whale of a small group with pleated skin on the underside, e.g. the blue, fin, and humpback whales. [Family Balaenopteridae.]
Origin
C19: via Fr. from Norw. røyrkval 'fin whale', from ON reythr , the specific name, + hvalr 'whale'.