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Mysticeti

plural noun
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Mys·​ti·​ce·​ti | \ ˌmistəˈsēˌtī \

Definition of Mysticeti

: a suborder of Cetacea consisting of the whalebone whales — compare odontoceti

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Other Words from Mysticeti

mysticetous \ ¦⸗⸗¦sētəs \ adjective

History and Etymology for Mysticeti

New Latin, plural of mysticetus Greenland whale, from Greek mystikētos, a whale (dubious reading in some early editions of Aristotle where some recent editions read ho mys to ketos and interpret as “the ‘mouse’—that is, the whale so called”)

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Cite this Entry

“Mysticeti.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Mysticeti. Accessed 25 January 2020.

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