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 illustration

Examples 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, 2 Jan. 2025

Orca observed hunting and killing a great white shark by itself for the first time Usually, orcas hang and hunt in pods, but this solitary creature with a taste for blood took on one of Earth’s most formidable predators all by itself. —Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 25 Dec. 2024

In South Africa, orcas have developed techniques to kill great white sharks, one of the ocean’s most fearsome predators. —Katie Hunt, CNN, 29 Nov. 2024

Charles meets his fate after the crash via the jaws of a great white shark. —Tim Lammers, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1774, in the meaning defined above

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