whaling

noun

whal·​ing ˈ(h)wā-liŋ How to pronounce whaling (audio)
: the occupation of catching and extracting commercial products from whales

Examples of whaling in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
It’s thought that populations living in the Antarctic and North Atlantic may have dropped to the low hundreds in the 1960s and 70s, around the time commercial whaling ended. Sean Mowbray, Discover Magazine, 27 Sep. 2024 Melville was as proud of his whaling adventures as Mark Twain was of steamboating. The Week Us, theweek, 17 Sep. 2024 The former whaling port on the Atlantic Coast has a small harbor and medieval center within driving distance of beautiful beaches. Jamie Ditaranto, Travel + Leisure, 16 Aug. 2024 Once a prolific whaling station, Godthul, a bay on South Georgia's northern coast, has been reclaimed by nature. Sebastian Modak, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 June 2023 See all Example Sentences for whaling 

Word History

First Known Use

1688, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of whaling was in 1688

Dictionary Entries Near whaling

Cite this Entry

“Whaling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whaling. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on whaling

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!