noun / verb
whale
WAYL/weɪl/
A large, air-breathing marine mammal.
A whale rises to the surface and breathes through its blowhole.
Etymology
Old English hwæl named the whale but could also mean a walrus. The word's historical range was broader than the selected meaning: popular usage applied it to large sea animals generally.
In context
Despite its strength, the blue whale story is also one of fragility. [Music] For centuries, whalers pursued it relentlessly across the Antarctic seas
More examples
- We watch two whales swimming beside the boat.
- Sailors once whaled in these cold northern waters.
- The company is a whale in the shipping industry.
Forms
whale · whales · whaled · whaling
whaler noun — A person who hunts whales.
whaling noun — The activity or business of hunting whales.
Similar words
- cetacean
- A scientific term that also includes dolphins and porpoises.