sperm whale

The Sailor's Word-Book

Otherwise known as the cachalot, Physeter macrocephalus.


A large cetacean, belonging to the division of delphinoid or toothed whales. It is found in nearly all tropical and temperate seas, and is much hunted for the valuable sperm-oil and spermaceti which it yields. When full grown, it may attain the length of 60 feet, of which the head occupies nearly one-third.

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