A variant spelling of cachalot, referring to the sperm whale, commonly used in Spanish and Portuguese contexts.
Spanish and Portuguese variant of 'cachalot,' derived from the same uncertain root as the French term, possibly from colonial Portuguese encounters in the Americas. Both forms were used interchangeably in whaling literature.
The fact that 'cachalot' and 'cachalote' exist in European languages shows how whaling connected global trade—whalers from different nations used slightly different words for the same animal based on their native languages.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.