n.
Pronunciation: b ə - ' lü-g ə
Function: noun
Etymology: Russian, from bely ĭ white; akin to Greek phalios having a white spot ― more at BALD
Date: 1772
1 : a large white sturgeon ( Huso huso syn. Acipenser huso ) of the Black Sea, Caspian Sea, and their tributaries also : caviar processed from beluga roe ― compare OSETRA , SEVRUGA
2 [Russian belukha, from bely ĭ ] : a toothed whale ( Delphinapterus leucas ) of arctic and subarctic waters having a fusiform body that is about 10 to 15 feet (3.0 to 5.0 meters) long and white when mature ― called also white whale