Meaning & use
narwhal
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Meanings
nouncountablebiology
A small Arctic whale that has a long spiral tusk sticking out from its upper jaw.
Grammar: Countable: you can say a narwhal, two narwhals. The plural is usually narwhals, but narwhal is also used as the plural in scientific writing.
Patterns
- a pod of narwhals
- a narwhal tusk
We saw a narwhal swimming near the edge of the ice.
Narwhals live in the cold waters of the Arctic Ocean.
The male narwhal's tusk can grow up to three meters long.
nouncountablebiology
The tusk of this whale, often sold as a decorative object or used in traditional carvings.
Grammar: Countable: a narwhal, two narwhals. Often used in the phrase 'narwhal tusk'.
Patterns
- a narwhal tusk
- carved from narwhal
The museum has a narwhal tusk on display.
In the past, narwhal tusks were sometimes sold as unicorn horns.
Local artisans carve figures from narwhal ivory.
Word forms
| plural | narwhals |
|---|---|
| plural (scientific) | narwhal |
Common combinations
- narwhal tusk
- The narwhal tusk is actually a tooth that grows through the upper lip.
- pod of narwhals
- A pod of narwhals surfaced close to the boat.
- Arctic narwhal
- The Arctic narwhal is adapted to life in freezing waters.
- narwhal population
- Scientists are tracking the narwhal population in Greenland.
- narwhal ivory
- Trade in narwhal ivory is strictly controlled.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sea unicorn
- A poetic or informal name for the narwhal, rarely used in scientific contexts.
- unicorn whale
- Another informal name, emphasizing the single tusk; not the usual term in biology.
Word family
- narwhal noun
- The animal itself; also used attributively, as in 'narwhal tusk'.
- narwhalian adjective
- Rare; relating to narwhals.
Commonly confused: narwhal or walrus? narwhal or unicorn?
narwhal vs walrus
A walrus is a large Arctic seal with tusks and whiskers, not a whale. Narwhals are whales with a single long tusk.
narwhal vs unicorn
A unicorn is a mythical horse-like creature with a horn; a narwhal is a real whale. The narwhal's tusk may have inspired unicorn legends.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'narwhal' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Narwhals are Arctic whales with a distinctive tusk. The other options describe birds or fish, which are not narwhals.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “narwhal”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.