orca

noun

or·​ca ˈȯr-kə 

plural orcas or orca

: a relatively small toothed whale (Orcinus orca of the family Delphinidae) that is black above with white underparts and white oval-shaped patches behind the eyes : killer whale

Orcas are … the most agile and streamlined of the cetaceans. Found throughout the world, they are intelligent, social, and matriarchal.

—Marguerite Holloway

At the end of the food chain sustained by the krill is the orca … a spectacular animal patterned in black and white, that hunts in groups of up to thirty or forty, feeding on penguins, porpoises and seals.

—John Vandenbeld

There they were, wild orcas. Adrenaline rushed through my body, but I clung to the dock. I knew nothing of these waters or this northern wilderness.

—Alexandra Morton

… nowhere in the world are orca easier to see than on Puget Sound, where new whale-watching cruises bring you close to one of the few resident populations.

—Sunset

Examples of orca in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Additionally, each orca and dolphin presentation at the park will include a military recognition. —Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 May 2024

During that period, the orcas birthed fewer calves. —Tomas Weber, Rolling Stone, 18 May 2024

Last summer, for example, three orcas attacked a yacht during an international race in the Strait of Gibraltar. —Tori Latham, Robb Report, 16 May 2024

Scientists remain puzzled by the orcas’ destructive behavior. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 May 2024

According to the agency, people who encounter orcas while on a vessel should do the following: Don't go near the side of the boat. —Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 15 May 2024

The orcas are due to be shipped to another marine park in Japan. —K.j. Yossman, Variety, 15 May 2024

Reports of aggressive encounters between orcas and sailboats in the Iberian coast off of Europe began in 2020, according to Maritime Executive, and the incidents have ramped up since then. —Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 14 May 2024

In a video posted to the group, three orcas can be seen breaching the surface just feet away from Seebach’s kayak. —Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 1 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin, a genus name, earlier a specific epithet (Delphinus orca, Linnaeus), going back to Latin, "a marine mammal, probably Risso's dolphin," borrowed (perhaps via Etruscan) from Greek oryg-, óryx "kind of marine mammal" — more at oryx

Note: The Roman grammarian Sextus Pompeius Festus assumed that the form of the Latin word reflected a different word orca, "kind of narrow-necked earthenware vessel," from the animal's supposed resemblance to the vase.

First Known Use

1726, in the meaning defined above