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Definition of narwhal

narwhal

/ˈnɑːr.wəl/
nar · whal
Plural:narwhals
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narwhal Lexical Profile

narwhal Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A medium-sized toothed whale native to the Arctic Ocean, noted for the long, spiraled, ivory tusk protruding from the upper jaw of the males.

Example

"During our Arctic expedition, we were fortunate enough to spot a pod of narwhals breaking the icy surface of the water."

• Nearby Words

narrows
narva
narva falls
narwhal
naryn
nasal
nasally

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed from Danish and Norwegian 'narhval', which ultimately derives from Old Norse 'náhvalr'. This is a compound of 'nár' (corpse) and 'hvalr' (whale), likely referring to the animal's mottled grayish pigmentation that resembled a drowned human body.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Narwhal. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/narwhal
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