Cetacea

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Cetacea \Ce*ta"ce*a\, n. pl. [NL., from L. cetus whale, Gr. ?.]
     (Zool.)
     An order of marine mammals, including the whales. Like
     ordinary mammals they breathe by means of lungs, and bring
     forth living young which they suckle for some time. The
     anterior limbs are changed to paddles; the tail flukes are


     horizontal. There are two living suborders:
     (a) {The {Mysticete} or whalebone whales, having no true
         teeth after birth, but with a series of plates of
         whalebone [see {Baleen}.] hanging down from the upper jaw
         on each side, thus making a strainer, through which they
         receive the small animals upon which they feed.}
     (b) {The {Denticete}, including the dolphins and sperm whale,
         which have teeth. Another suborder ({Zeuglodontia}) is
         extinct. The {Sirenia} were formerly included in the
         Cetacea, but are now made a separate order.}
         [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  Cetacea
       n : an order of Eutheria [syn: {order Cetacea}]