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sperm whale

Definition of sperm whale

noun

  • a toothed whale with a massive head, typically feeding at great depths on squid, formerly valued for the spermaceti and sperm oil in its head and the ambergris in its intestines.
    • Family Physeteridae: two genera and three species, in particular the very large Physeter macrocephalus (also called cachalot)

Origin:

mid 19th century: sperm, abbreviation of spermaceti

sperm whale in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of sperm whale in the US English dictionary
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