cetacean
cetacean — noun
- cetaceansingular
- cetaceansplural
1. a whale, dolphin, porpoise, or similar sea mammal that breathes air and feeds it
a whale, dolphin, porpoise, or similar sea mammal that breathes air and feeds its young with milk
The guide explained that dolphins are cetaceans, not fish.
classification: dolphins belong to the cetacean group
Researchers tagged two cetaceans before releasing them into deeper water.
At the rescue center, a young cetacean drank milk from a bottle.
The poster compared the bones of a seal and a cetacean.
文法句型
a cetacean
study cetaceans
injured cetacean
用法筆記
This word is mainly used in biology, conservation, and museum writing. In everyday speech, people usually say whale, dolphin, or porpoise instead of cetacean.
常見錯誤
cetacean — adjective
- cetaceanpositive
- more cetaceancomparative
- most cetaceansuperlative
1. describing something linked to whales, dolphins, porpoises, or the larger animal
describing something linked to whales, dolphins, porpoises, or the larger animal family they belong to
The team recorded cetacean calls during the night survey.
collocation: cetacean calls
A new map showed cetacean migration routes along the Chilean coast.
collocation: cetacean migration routes
Marine parks must follow strict cetacean care rules for injured animals.
The museum opened a cetacean research room beside the public aquarium.
文法句型
cetacean + calls
cetacean + migration
cetacean + research
用法筆記
This sense is most common before nouns such as calls, migration, habitat, and research. It sounds technical, so general conversation more often uses whale or dolphin instead.