ˈrȯrkwəl noun
( -s )
Etymology: French, from Norwegian rørhval, from Old Norse reytharhvalr, from reythr rorqual (from rauthr red) + hvalr whale — more at red , whale
: a whalebone whale (as a blue whale, finback, or sei) of the genus Balaenoptera or Sibbaldus having a rather small head, the skin of the throat marked with deep longitudinal furrows, and relatively short slender forelimbs one-seventh or less of the length of head and body