beluga

noun

be·​lu·​ga bə-ˈlü-gə 

1

: a large white sturgeon (Huso huso) of the Black Sea, Caspian Sea, and their tributaries

also : caviar processed from beluga roe compare osetra, sevruga

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

Twenty whales — 19 belugas and one killer whale — have died at Marineland since 2019, according to provincial government data obtained through freedom-of-information laws and official statements. —ABC News, 3 June 2026

On that score, the beluga results sit right at the edge. —Federica Sgorbissa, ArsTechnica, 24 May 2026

What makes the whale encounters extra special is that the belugas are curious creatures and highly gregarious. —Sarah Sekula, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026

Twenty whales — one killer whale and 19 belugas — have died at the park since 2019, according to an ongoing tally by The Canadian Press based on internal records and official statements. —Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Russian, from belyĭ white; akin to Greek phalios having a white spot — more at bald

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for beluga

• pseudotsuga
• tsuga

Kids Definition

beluga

noun

be·​lu·​ga bə-ˈlü-gə 

: a toothed whale that becomes 10 to 15 feet (3.0 to 5.0 meters) long and white when adult

called also beluga whale

Etymology

from earlier beluga "a white sturgeon," from Russian beluga (same meaning), from belyǐ "white"