n.
Pronunciation: si- ' t ā -sh ə n
Function: noun
Etymology: ultimately from Latin cetus whale, from Greek k ē tos
Date: 1835
: any of an order (Cetacea) of aquatic mostly marine mammals that includes the whales, dolphins, porpoises, and related forms and that have a torpedo-shaped nearly hairless body, paddle-shaped forelimbs but no hind limbs, one or two nares opening externally at the top of the head, and a horizontally flattened tail used for locomotion
– cetacean adjective
– ce · ta · ceous \ -sh ə s \ adjective