narwhal

Everyday

A narwhal is a whale of the Arctic Ocean; the male usually has one very long straight spiral tusk growing from his upper lip, which is really a tooth. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons about Arctic animals and adaptations, the narwhal's tusk is full of nerves and may help it sense the water and show off to females. Narwhals dive very deep under the ice to catch fish and squid, and Inuit people have hunted them for food for a very long time. In history, sailors sold narwhal tusks in Europe as «unicorn horns». Phrases: the unicorn of the sea, narwhal tusk, a pod of narwhals.

Examples

• The narwhal is called the unicorn of the sea. tree →
• A male narwhal has a long spiral tusk. tree →
• The narwhal's tusk is actually a tooth. tree →
• Narwhals live in the icy Arctic Ocean. tree →
• A pod of narwhals came up to breathe through a crack in the ice. tree →
• People once sold narwhal tusks as unicorn horns. tree →
• Narwhals can dive more than a kilometre deep. tree →
• Melting sea ice is a danger for narwhals. tree →

Note

Countable: a narwhal, narwhals. Pronounced «NAR-wul». Fact: only some narwhals (mostly males) have a tusk; a few have two. Myth: unicorns are not real, and the «unicorn horns» sold long ago were narwhal teeth.