balaenoptera
|ba-lae-no-pte-ra|
🇺🇸
/bəˌleɪnəˈpɛtərə/
🇬🇧
/bəˌliːnəˈpɛtərə/
winged/finned whale (genus name)
Etymology
'balaenoptera' originates from New Latin, specifically the word 'Balaenoptera', where Greek 'balainē' (βαλαίνη) meant 'whale' and 'pteron' (πτερόν) meant 'wing' or 'fin'.
'balaenoptera' was formed in scientific (New Latin) nomenclature in modern biology by combining Greek elements 'balainē' + 'pteron' and entered English as the taxonomic genus name 'Balaenoptera'.
Initially it literally meant 'winged/finned whale' (from Greek roots), and over time it has become established as the scientific genus name for certain rorqual whales.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a genus of rorqual whales (family Balaenopteridae) that includes species such as the blue whale and the minke whale.
The researchers examined a skull they identified as balaenoptera from the 19th-century collection.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/03 16:32