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great white shark
noun
: a large mackerel shark (Carcharodon carcharias) of warm seas that is bluish when young but becomes whitish with age and has been known to attack humans
called also white shark
see shark illustrationExamples of great white shark in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Share [Findings] An orca acting alone killed a great white shark and ate its liver.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024
Policies protecting marine wildlife have increased Cape Cod’s great white shark population, which is now one of the densest seasonal concentrations of white sharks in the world, as National Geographic’s Alexandra Owens reported last year.
—Olatunji Osho-Williams, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Oct. 2024
The show brings viewers up close with deadly animals such as camouflaging cuttlefish and hippos to ferocious great white sharks and venomous spiders and snakes.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 12 Sep. 2024
This 1978 sequel to Steven Spielberg’s terrifying classic about a murderous great white shark was basically a waterlogged remake of the original, with a group of obnoxious teens winding up as shark bait for a new predator.
—Greg Braxton, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1774, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of great white shark was
in 1774
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Cite this Entry
“Great white shark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/great%20white%20shark. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
great white shark
noun
: a large and dangerous shark of warm seas that is quick to attack human beings and is bluish when young but becomes whitish with age
Medical Definition
great white shark
noun
: a large shark (Carcharodon carcharias of the family Lamnidae) that is bluish when young but becomes whitish with age and has been known to attack humans
called also white shark
More from Merriam-Webster on great white shark
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about great white shark
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