Balaenoptera physalus

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

Balaenoptera physalus
    n 1: large flat-headed whalebone whale having deep furrows along
         the throat; of Atlantic and Pacific [syn: {finback},
         {finback whale}, {fin whale}, {common rorqual},
         {Balaenoptera physalus}]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Rorqual \Ror"qual\, n. [Norw. rorqualus a whale with folds.]
   (Zool.)
   A very large North Atlantic whalebone whale ({Physalus
   antiquorum}, or {Balaenoptera physalus}). It has a dorsal
   fin, and strong longitudinal folds on the throat and belly.
   Called also {razorback}.
   [1913 Webster]

   Note: It is one of the largest of the whales, somethimes
         becoming nearly one hundred feet long, but it is more
         slender than the right whales, and is noted for its
         swiftness. The name is sometimes applied to other
         related species of finback whales.
         [1913 Webster]