whaler

noun

whal·​er ˈ(h)wā-lər How to pronounce whaler (audio)
1
: a person or ship engaged in whale fishing
2

Examples of whaler in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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But based on the financial success of its previous voyages in search of sperm oil—a high-quality lighting oil derived from the spermaceti organ in the head of the sperm whale—it was considered a desirable, even lucky, ship by local whalers. Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Nov. 2024 Of the 20 or 21 whalers who left Nantucket on the Essex, only eight survived. Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Nov. 2024 The cast of Swept Away, the about-to-open Broadway musical that follows four whalers on an odyssey of survival and salvation, are a tight crew. Robert Sullivan, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2024 In Nauru's history, it has been used as a supply shop for European whalers, according to CIA.gov. Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 1 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for whaler 

Word History

First Known Use

1684, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of whaler was in 1684

Dictionary Entries Near whaler

Cite this Entry

“Whaler.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whaler. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

whaler

noun
whal·​er ˈhwā-lər How to pronounce whaler (audio)
ˈwā-
: a person or ship that hunts for whales

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