humpback whale

noun

: a large baleen whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) that is black above and white below and has very long flippers, and fleshy tubercles along the snout

Illustration of humpback whale

Illustration of humpback whale

Examples of humpback whale in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Discoveries Explore these fascinating new findings: — A male humpback whale embarked on a record-breaking migration spanning 8,106 miles (13,046 kilometers) between the Pacific and Indian oceans, offering unique insight into the complex behaviors of these marine giants. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 14 Dec. 2024 In other whale news, humpback whales have been hanging out in Orange County for the last two months. Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024 Some whale migration routes are known to exceed 5,000 miles between feeding and breeding grounds, and humpback whales in particular have some of the longest migrations of any mammal. Hannah Peart, NBC News, 11 Dec. 2024 At the time, the Coast Guard was unable to confirm whether the whale was a humpback whale or an endangered North Atlantic right whale. Andrea Margolis, Fox News, 27 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for humpback whale 

Word History

First Known Use

1726, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of humpback whale was in 1726

Dictionary Entries Near humpback whale

Cite this Entry

“Humpback whale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/humpback%20whale. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

humpback whale

noun
: a large baleen whale that is black above and white below and has very long flippers

More from Merriam-Webster on humpback whale

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!