Dictionary

narwhal en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈnɑːʍəl/ (UK)
• /ˈnɑɹʍəl/ (US)
• /ˈnɑːˌʍeɪl/ (UK)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈnɑɹˌweɪl/ (US)
• /ˈnɑːwəl/ (UK)
• /ˈnɑːˌweɪl/ (UK)
• /ˈnɑɹwəl/ (US)
• /ˈnɑɹˌʍeɪl/ (US)
• /ˈnɑɹʍɔl/ (US)
• /ˈnɑɹwɑl/ (US)
• /ˈnɑɹwɔl/ (US)
• /ˈnɑɹʍɑl/ (US)

Etymology

From Dutch narwal or Danish/Norwegian Bokmål narhval, from Old Norse náhvalr, from nár (“corpse”) + hvalr (“whale”). Compare Icelandic náhvalur.

Meanings

1. An Arctic toothed whale (Monodon monoceros) that grows to about 20 feet (6 meters) long, the male having a single horn-like tusk, a twisted, pointed cuspid that projects forward.
   • Often, in the morning, narwhals played around the boat and reminded me of the dolphins, so far away in the North Atlantic. But these narwhals were not like the Atlantic sea-dogs; they had little of their flashing vibrancy; these Turkish narwhals were much more relaxed, and rolled over lazily, with a sigh, as if they were going to retire to a sofa and smoke a hookah. 1988, Tristan Jones, Somewheres East of Suez:
   • Moreover, both narwhals and bowheads can occur in late summer in southern Prince Regent Inlet (coming from Lancaster Sound) and may reach Fury and Hecla Strait and northern Foxe Basin. 1986, D. E. Sergeant, “Chapter 16: Sea Mammals”, in I. P. Martini, editor, Canadian Inland Seas, page 337:
   • At over 2.5 m in length, the tusk of the male narwhal (Monodon monoceros) is one the most impressive instruments of male-male competition among mammals. 2000, Richard C. Connor, Andrew J. Read, Richard Wrangham, edited by Janet Mann, Cetacean Societies: Field Studies of Dolphins and Whales, 10: Male Reproductive Strategies and Social Bonds, page 247:

Forms

Deriveds

narluga

Synonyms

sea unicorn

Translations (79)

oc narval (Arctic cetacean) · gv whale feeacklagh (Arctic cetacean) · tr deniz gergedanı (Arctic cetacean) · cmn 角鯨 /角鲸 (Arctic cetacean) · fo náhvalur (Arctic cetacean) · be аднарог (Arctic cetacean) · vi kì lân biển (Arctic cetacean) · cmn 一角鯨 /一角鲸 (Arctic cetacean) · cy môr-ungorn (Arctic cetacean) · cs narval (Arctic cetacean) · ro narval (Arctic cetacean) · fa ناروال (Arctic cetacean) · nl narwal (Arctic cetacean) · lmo narval (Arctic cetacean) · mk нарвал (Arctic cetacean) · uz narval (Arctic cetacean) · cmn 獨角鯨 /独角鲸 (Arctic cetacean) · sl enorog (Arctic cetacean) · chr ᎤᏲᎾ ᏓᏆ (Arctic cetacean) · cmn 長槍鯨 /长枪鲸 (Arctic cetacean) · sl narval (Arctic cetacean) · kk сытқы (Arctic cetacean) · pl narwal (Arctic cetacean) · is náhvalur (Arctic cetacean) · tr narval (Arctic cetacean) · ja 一角 (Arctic cetacean) · uz нарвал (Arctic cetacean) · ru единоро́г (Arctic cetacean) · fi sarvivalas (Arctic cetacean) · hy միաժանի (Arctic cetacean) · eo narvalo (Arctic cetacean) · sh jȅdnorog (Arctic cetacean) · da narhval (Arctic cetacean) · hsb narwal (Arctic cetacean) · sh на̀рвал (Arctic cetacean) · ca narval (Arctic cetacean) · eu narbal (Arctic cetacean) · et narval (Arctic cetacean) · it narvalo (Arctic cetacean) · lt narvalas (Arctic cetacean) · es narval (Arctic cetacean) · ja イッカク (Arctic cetacean) · pl jednorożec (Arctic cetacean) · io narvalo (Arctic cetacean) · lv narvalis (Arctic cetacean) · az narval (Arctic cetacean) · ang nēohwæl (Arctic cetacean) · el φάλαινα νάρβαλ (Arctic cetacean) · gv narwhal (Arctic cetacean) · nn narkval (Arctic cetacean) · kl qilalugaq qernertaq (Arctic cetacean) · be нарвал (Arctic cetacean) · ga narbhal (Arctic cetacean) · iu ᑑᒑᓕᒃ (Arctic cetacean) · dsb narwal (Arctic cetacean) · ru нарва́л (Arctic cetacean) · br narwal (Arctic cetacean) · ar حريش البحر (Arctic cetacean) · gd muc-mhara adharcach (Arctic cetacean) · af narwal (Arctic cetacean) · uk нарва́л (Arctic cetacean) · cy morfil ungorn (Arctic cetacean) · ko 일각고래 (Arctic cetacean) · th นาร์วาล (Arctic cetacean) · bg нарвал (Arctic cetacean) · fa ختو (Arctic cetacean) · sq narvali (Arctic cetacean) · sh nàrval (Arctic cetacean) · nb narhval (Arctic cetacean) · pt narval (Arctic cetacean) · sh је̏днорог (Arctic cetacean) · hu narvál (Arctic cetacean) · fr licorne de mer (Arctic cetacean) · sl samorog (Arctic cetacean) · de Narwal (Arctic cetacean) · sv narval (Arctic cetacean) · fr narval (Arctic cetacean) · sk narval (Arctic cetacean) · ka მარტოკბილა (Arctic cetacean)