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
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Most male humpback whales in a Pacific Ocean population do not have offspring — and bad singing might be to blame, new research reveals. Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 10 Jan. 2025 According to tourist whale-watching websites in New York, humpback whales are typically visible between May and December. George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024 In Estonia, the creatures thought responsible for the nighttime show were humpback whales. Bailey Berg, AFAR Media, 30 Dec. 2024 The worst year was 2023, with 37 humpback whale mortalities. George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 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 20 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

humpback whale

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

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