blue whale

noun

: a very large baleen whale (Balaenoptera musculus synonym Sibbaldus musculus) that may reach a weight of 150 tons (136 metric tons) and a length of 100 feet (30 meters) and is generally considered the largest living animal

Illustration of blue whale

Illustration of blue whale

Examples of blue whale in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The emission has already revealed that the jet of high-speed particles erupting from M87* at near-light speed stretches so far that its emergence from M87* was compared to a blue whale erupting from a single bacteria. Robert Lea, Space.com, 30 Dec. 2024 Fin whales, the second-largest whale species after blue whales, were previously protected due to overhunting. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024 This island nation of 22 million is a place where leopards slip like a whisper through the undergrowth, blue whales breach offshore, tea estates paint the hill region a lush green, and ancient Buddhist and Hindu temples whisper stories of centuries past. Christine Chitnis, Vogue, 8 Jan. 2025 Offshore, gray whales breach in winter and blue whales glide through in summer, turning the sea into a stage for nature’s greatest performances. Alexandra Gillespie, Outside Online, 16 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for blue whale 

Word History

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of blue whale was in 1851

Dictionary Entries Near blue whale

Cite this Entry

“Blue whale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blue%20whale. Accessed 19 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

blue whale

noun
: a whale that may reach a weight of 150 tons (135 metric tons) and a length of 100 feet (30 meters) and is generally considered the largest living animal

More from Merriam-Webster on blue whale

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