baleen whale

noun

: any of a suborder (Mysticeti) of usually large whales typically of colder waters that lack teeth but have baleen plates in the upper jaw which are used to filter chiefly small crustaceans (such as krill) out of large quantities of seawater see fin whale, gray whale, humpback whale, right whale, rorqual compare toothed whale

Examples of baleen whale in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

To monitor and track these baleen whales, scientists deploy underwater microphones called hydrophones. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 26 Feb. 2025

According to the team, these findings indicate that seasonal and yearly changes to the amount of baleen whale song might mirror changes in the local food web. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 26 Feb. 2025

Specifically, urine from baleen whales — as well as their other bodily waste — transports essential nutrients from high-latitude to low-latitude areas, according to a study published on March 10 in the journal Nature Communications. —Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 12 Mar. 2025

Certain species of baleen whales — the flight group — have developed methods to keep their mates and offspring safe. —Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 7 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1874, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for baleen whale

• abigail
• cottontail
• countervail
• fingernail
• martingale
• mesoscale
• microscale
• monorail
• nanoscale
• ponytail
• swallowtail
• wensleydale

Kids Definition

baleen whale

noun

: any of various usually large whales lacking teeth but having baleen for filtering small ocean animals (as krill) out of seawater compare toothed whale