right whale

noun

: any of several large baleen whales (family Balaenidae and especially genus Eubalaena) that lack a dorsal fin and have very long baleen plates, an extremely large head with a V-shaped blowhole, a smooth throat, short, broad, rounded flippers, and whitish protuberances of thickened skin about the head

Illustration of right whale

Examples of right whale in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life aerial research team has flown 32 surveys off New England since December, resulting in 168 North Atlantic right whales being located, officials said. —Mark Price, Miami Herald, 6 May 2025

So far this winter, aerial surveys and observers have confirmed seven right whale calves. —Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 6 Feb. 2025

Endangered right whales spotted in shipping lanes south of Massachusetts Meanwhile last week, several basking sharks were seen off Plymouth. —Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 12 May 2025

Endangered right whales spotted in shipping lanes south of Massachusetts Chisholm every spring receives many shark reports that turned out to be basking sharks, instead of great white sharks. —Rick Sobey, Hartford Courant, 11 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1725, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for right whale

• airmail
• assail
• avail
• bewail
• blackmail
• cattail
• cocktail
• curtail
• derail
• detail
• dovetail
• email

Kids Definition

right whale

noun

: a large baleen whale with no fin on the back, a very large head, and small eyes near the lower part of the mouth