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

Schreiber also included another series of photos with pictures of wildlife from the trip, including a selfie amongst an iceberg and a photo of an orca whale. —Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 15 Apr. 2024

Light House study orcas and humpbacks using hydrophones placed in the Salish Sea, and visitors can eavesdrop through the engine-room speakers. —Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 14 Apr. 2024

SeaWorld Orlando trainer Dawn Brancheau is battered and drowned by a 12,000-pound orca called Tilikum before a live audience. —Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2024

The black and white whales are currently all classified as a single species, Orcinus orca, but that could change. —Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024

In addition to the hunt itself being rare, Talty said the sheer number of orcas in the bay was also uncommon. —Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 3 Apr. 2024

Scientists recently confirmed the first observation of a group of orcas hunting a great white shark. —Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024

A number of previous studies have argued that O. orca is actually made up of more than one species. —Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Mar. 2024

These orcas hunted a herd of nine adult female sperm whales, eventually making off with one. —Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 20 Mar. 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