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

During the survey over the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, the researchers spotted more than 300 animals, including three endangered fin whales, three endangered sperm whales, 50 pilot whales and hundreds of dolphins. —Neal Riley, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026

The pilot whales in Hawaii dive as deep as 5,000 feet under the surface to forage, primarily for nutritious squid. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 13 Nov. 2025

The animal — a 12-foot pilot whale — was first spotted in the river’s shallow waters Wednesday, Aug. 6. —Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2025

More than 60 pilot whales were stranded on a beach near the northern Icelandic town of Ólafsfjörður, prompting an urgent rescue operation involving local emergency services and community volunteers. —Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for pilot whale

• abigail
• cottontail
• countervail
• fingernail
• martingale
• mesoscale
• microscale
• monorail
• nanoscale
• ponytail
• swallowtail
• wensleydale

Kids Definition

pilot whale

noun

: either of two mostly black medium-sized toothed whales related to the dolphins