plural whales
often attributive
1
or plural whale
: any of various very large, aquatic, marine mammals (order Cetacea) that have a torpedo-shaped body with a thick layer of blubber, paddle-shaped forelimbs but no hind limbs, a horizontally flattened tail, and nostrils that open externally at the top of the head
also
: cetacean see baleen whale, toothed whale
2
: one that is impressive especially in size
a whale of a difference
a whale of a good time
whaled; whaling
Synonyms
Examples of whale in a Sentence
Noun
a whale of a pickup truck
Verb (2)
whaled the ball so hard that it sailed over the fence and into the neighbor's yard
whaled the rug with a broom to knock the dirt out of it
mercilessly whaled the pickpocket for stealing from her purse
Recent Examples on the Web
Caroline Mimbs Nyce, The Atlantic, 17 Oct. 2024
Merrill and his coauthors discovered plastic debris in the water has an acoustic signature similar to that of dead squid, the primary prey for certain whale species that use sound waves to hunt for food.
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 17 Oct. 2024
It was also used in explosives, as one of the byproducts of whale oil soap is glycerol.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 16 Oct. 2024
Exhibitions there focus on early Norse settlements, Inuit ways of transportation, whale oil refineries and the Thule people, who are the ancestors of today's Greenlanders, .
—Catherine Garcia, The Week Us, theweek, 15 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for whale 
Noun
Read: How first contact with whale civilization could unfold
Dogs probably won’t be the animals that help scientists win the prize.
—Caroline Mimbs Nyce, The Atlantic, 17 Oct. 2024
Merrill and his coauthors discovered plastic debris in the water has an acoustic signature similar to that of dead squid, the primary prey for certain whale species that use sound waves to hunt for food.
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 17 Oct. 2024
It was also used in explosives, as one of the byproducts of whale oil soap is glycerol.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 16 Oct. 2024
Exhibitions there focus on early Norse settlements, Inuit ways of transportation, whale oil refineries and the Thule people, who are the ancestors of today's Greenlanders, .
—Catherine Garcia, The Week Us, theweek, 15 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for whale
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'whale.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Whale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whale. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
whale
1 of 3 noun
ˈhwā(ə)l 
ˈwā(ə)l
plural whales or whale
1
: a water-dwelling mammal (as a humpback whale or a killer whale) that is a cetacean of usually very large size with a torpedo-shaped body, front limbs modified into flippers but no hind limbs, and a tail flattened and extended to the sides as flukes and that usually breathes through an opening on top of the head compare baleen whale, toothed whale
2
: something large enough to catch attention
it made a whale of a difference
whale
2 of 3 verb
whaled; whaling
: to hunt whales
Etymology
Noun
Old English hwæl "whale"
Verb
origin unknown
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