Delphinids

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Toothed marine mammals belonging to the family of dolphins, known for their intelligence and streamlined bodies
2. Small to medium-sized toothed whales that make up the oceanic dolphin family and often swim in pods
3. Aquatic mammals of the dolphin family, sleek whales that hunt fish and communicate with clicks and whistles

Etymology: "Delphinids" is the plural of "delphinid," a member of the family Delphinidae, which takes in dolphins along with a number of related whales, such as the orcas and pilot whales. The family name is built on the Greek "delphis," meaning "dolphin," with the Latin-derived suffix "-id" marking a biological family. Because "delphinid" is a formal scientific term, it reads as a taxonomic label rather than a everyday word, and its plural simply names the members of that group.