SINCE 1828
beluga
noun
be·lu·ga
| \ bə-ˈlü-gə
\
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Definition of beluga
2
[ 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
Illustration of beluga
beluga 2
Examples of beluga in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Shedd’s largest beluga, a male named Aurek, is about 14 feet and 2,100 lbs. — Steve Johnson, chicagotribune.com, "Shedd Aquarium beluga gives birth to healthy calf," 4 July 2019 Female killer whales, as well as narwhals and short-finned pilot and beluga whales, are the only other animals who go through menopause. — Darcey Steinke, Time, "No One Told Me Exactly What to Expect From Menopause. But the Messages I Did Get Were Very Wrong," 28 June 2019 Russia frees whales: Russia released back into the wild two killer whales and six beluga whales — the first group of almost 100 whales whose capture in the Far East last year caused an international outcry. — Washington Post, "World Digest: June 27, 2019," 27 June 2019 In Canada, only two facilities keep cetaceans: Marineland, in Ontario, which has more than 50 beluga whales, according to CTV News, and the Vancouver Aquarium, which has one dolphin. — Anchorage Daily News, "With ‘Free Willy’ bill, Canada bans captivity and breeding of whales and dolphins," 11 June 2019 In late July, another group will head to Churchill, Manitoba, to spot beluga whales in Hudson Bay and look for polar bears roaming the shore on a trip led by Steven Aibel, Shedd’s senior director of marine mammals (starting at $3,995). — Linda Lombardi, chicagotribune.com, "3 epic aquatic adventures across the U.S., including indoor swimming with whale sharks," 11 June 2019 In Russia, many of the beluga whales performing in shows have been wild-caught. — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE.com, "Neglectful Sanctuaries and Poached Animals: New Report Reveals the Dark Side of Wildlife Tourism," 7 June 2019 Norwegian scientists were convinced: The beluga whale stalking boats off the Arctic coast was an operative from the Russian base in Murmansk that trains sea mammals for military missions. ... — Thomas Grove, WSJ, "Is That Whale a Russian Agent? The Beluga Won’t Tell," 11 May 2019 As the Sounder reported last year, Buckland used to rely on a strong beluga hunt every year. — Anchorage Daily News, "Kivalina enjoys rare beluga whale harvest," 7 July 2018These 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.
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