Illustration of narwhal
narwhal
noun
nar·whal
ˈnär-ˌ(h)wäl 
-wəl
variants
or less commonly narwhale
ˈnär-ˌwāl
-ˌ(h)wāl
: an arctic cetacean (Monodon monoceros) that reaches a length of about 16 feet (5 meters) and possesses in the male one or rarely two long, spirally twisted, pointed tusks
Note: Although the narwhal is classified as a toothed whale (suborder Odontoceti), it does not possess any teeth in its mouth.
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The narwhal is a toothed whale found throughout arctic waters. Its Latin binomial, Monodon monoceros, is derived from the Greek words for "single-toothed" and "single-horned." Its English name (also sometimes spelled narwhale) comes from the Norwegian and Danish narvhal and the Swedish narval, words which are probably a modification of the Icelandic nárhvalur, which comes from the Old Norse nāhvalr. In Old Norse hvalr means "whale" and is akin to the Old English hwæl, the ancestor of the Modern English whale. The first element of nāhvalr is believed to be nār, the Old Norse word for "corpse," from the resemblance of the animal's color to that of a human corpse.
Examples of narwhal in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
To be fair, most of the contents of museums aren’t on display, but some particularly odd narwhal remnants do have pride of place.
—
Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 5 Apr. 2025
Younger narwhals also tended to imitate the behavior of older ones, indicating that social learning could influence how narwhals use their tusks, according to the study.
—Julianna Bragg, CNN, 8 Mar. 2025
Read Next World What do narwhals use their tusks for?
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2025
This finding suggests that narwhal hunting near the surface is not without challenges.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2025
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Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 5 Apr. 2025
Younger narwhals also tended to imitate the behavior of older ones, indicating that social learning could influence how narwhals use their tusks, according to the study.
—Julianna Bragg, CNN, 8 Mar. 2025
Read Next World What do narwhals use their tusks for?
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2025
This finding suggests that narwhal hunting near the surface is not without challenges.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for narwhal
Cite this Entry
“Narwhal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/narwhal. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
narwhal
noun
nar·whal
ˈnär-ˌwäl
-ˌhwäl,
-wəl
: an arctic sea mammal that is about 20 feet (six meters) long, is related to the dolphins and whales and in the male has a long twisted ivory tusk
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