beluga

noun be·lu·ga \ bə-ˈlü-gə \

|Updated on: 16 Jun 2018

Definition of beluga

1 : a large white sturgeon (Huso huso synonym Acipenser huso) of the Black Sea, Caspian Sea, and their tributaries; also : caviar processed from beluga roe — compare osetra, sevruga

[Russian belukha, from belyĭ]

: a toothed whale (Delphinapterus leucas) of arctic and subarctic waters having a fusiform body that is about 10 to 15 feet (3.0 to 5.0 meters) long and white when mature — called also white whale

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Recent Examples of beluga from the Web

Frozen vodka at Siberia Bar is also good, particularly if a cook from one of the big hotels shows up with beluga.

— michelle weber, Longreads, "Anthony Bourdain: 1956-2018," 9 June 2018
Subsistence hunting of smaller beluga whales is allowed in the region.

— Washington Post, "APNewsBreak: US won’t prosecute Alaska gray whale kill," 8 June 2018
Later, stop by Mystic Aquarium to see some of North America’s only beluga whales.

— laura kiniry, Smithsonian, "The 20 Best Small Towns To Visit in 2018," 5 June 2018
A few of the other kind of whales in Alaska: beluga populations found in Cook Inlet and Turnagain Arm; bowheads, which come close to North Slope villages during their migration; and orcas, found in Glacier Bay area and the Aleutian Islands.

— bailey berg, Anchorage Daily News, "A primer on Alaska animals and where to see them (safely)," 2 May 2018
The area also hosts one of the world’s major marine migrations of bowhead and beluga whales, Pacific walruses, and ice seals, as well as vast populations of seabirds.

— margaret kriz hobson, Scientific American, "Amid Ice Melt, New Shipping Lanes Are Drawn Up off Alaska," 29 May 2018
Students in Lustig's third-, fourth, fifth and sixth grade art classes have spent the past month crafting beluga whales, arctic foxes and narwhals out of paper clay, a substance fashioned from shredded paper and papier mache paste.

— amy schwabe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Take your family on a holiday stroll through the fantastic forest at the Milwaukee County Zoo," 30 Nov. 2017
Aurek, beluga whale at Shedd Aquarium (with help from Timothy Ward, supervisor of marine mammals) Daily agenda: swim, dive, train, such as veterinarian simulations or enrichment practices.

— grace wong, chicagotribune.com, "What do a sommelier, a Bears lineman and a penguin eat for lunch?," 26 Apr. 2018
Ibérico ham is the beluga caviar of the porcine world.

— The Economist, "Mis-labelled Ibérico ham makes Spanish foodies squeal," 19 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'beluga.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.