pilot whale
noun
: either of two dark gray to black, medium-sized toothed whales (Globicephala melas and G. macrorhynchus) of temperate to tropical waters that have a large rounded forehead and short snout and typically feed on squid and small fish
called also blackfish
Examples of pilot whale in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Many migrant species rarely seen from Puerto Rico proper come close to shore: dolphins, pilot whales, tiger sharks, bluefin tuna, flying fish.
—
Carina Del Valle Schorske, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024
In August, a pod of nearly 100 pilot whales stranded themselves on the shore of an Australian beach, befuddling marine biologists and attracting international attentio when wildlife experts made the decision to euthanize them.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024
The Navy’s Marine Mammal Program has at various points tested a dozen marine mammals — including orcas, pilot whales and seals — for duties including mine detection and swimmer defense.
—Andrew Van Dam, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024
While pilot whales live in kind of deep water and are deep diving species, killer whales tend to be more associated with coasts and shoreline and tend to stay closer to the surface.
—Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 5 Jan. 2024
The pilot whales hung around for more than two hours.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
Similar considerations may have led to the evolution of menopause in female pilot whales.
—Jared Diamond, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
Then the pilot whales made another run at the sperm whales.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
There is no such quota for the pilot whales, according to Whale and Dolphin Conservation.
—Andrea Sach, Anchorage Daily News, 14 July 2023
Carina Del Valle Schorske, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024
In August, a pod of nearly 100 pilot whales stranded themselves on the shore of an Australian beach, befuddling marine biologists and attracting international attentio when wildlife experts made the decision to euthanize them.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024
The Navy’s Marine Mammal Program has at various points tested a dozen marine mammals — including orcas, pilot whales and seals — for duties including mine detection and swimmer defense.
—Andrew Van Dam, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024
While pilot whales live in kind of deep water and are deep diving species, killer whales tend to be more associated with coasts and shoreline and tend to stay closer to the surface.
—Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 5 Jan. 2024
The pilot whales hung around for more than two hours.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
Similar considerations may have led to the evolution of menopause in female pilot whales.
—Jared Diamond, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
Then the pilot whales made another run at the sperm whales.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
There is no such quota for the pilot whales, according to Whale and Dolphin Conservation.
—Andrea Sach, Anchorage Daily News, 14 July 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pilot whale.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Pilot whale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pilot%20whale. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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