whaling

noun

whal·​ing ˈ(h)wā-liŋ How to pronounce whaling (audio)
: the occupation of catching and extracting commercial products from whales

Examples of whaling in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Like many parts of coastal New England, Martha’s Vineyard grew out of the whaling industry: the island became known for making candles from whale oil, producing a smokeless variation favored by wealthy Americans. Jennifer Wilson, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2024 Their population has been severely reduced from historical numbers thanks to commercial whaling. Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024 The species had disappeared from the Atlantic Ocean by the 18th century, in part because of whaling, the aquarium said. Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 6 Mar. 2024 The team thought that, buoyed by the whaling ban, humpback whales’ numbers would have increased in the last two decades, with their growth eventually leveling off. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Feb. 2024 The humpback whale population in the North Pacific was once reduced to just a few thousand individuals because of commercial whaling. Li Cohen, CBS News, 28 Feb. 2024 Before that, in 1946, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) moved to protect whales, which had seen their numbers drop drastically as a result of whaling, a multi-million dollar industry in the 1900s. Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 18 Mar. 2024 Scientists estimate that before commercial whaling scaled up in the 18th and 19th centuries, there may have been as many as 10,000 North Atlantic right whales. Joshua Reed, The Conversation, 13 Mar. 2024 After decades of whaling decimated their numbers, humpback whales have made a remarkable comeback. Lauren Sommer, NPR, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'whaling.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1688, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of whaling was in 1688

Dictionary Entries Near whaling

Cite this Entry

“Whaling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whaling. Accessed 2 May. 2024.

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