whitetip shark

noun

white·​tip shark ˈ(h)wīt-ˌtip- 

variants or less commonly white-tip shark or whitetip or white-tipped shark

ˈ(h)wīt-ˌtipt- 

plural whitetip sharks also white-tip sharks or white-tipped sharks

1

: oceanic whitetip shark

A French tourist … was attacked by a whitetip shark off the Pacific islands of Polynesia.

—Scottish Daily Record and Sunday Mail

2

: whitetip reef shark

Located roughly 22 miles offshore, the 262-foot-long ship sank in 1981, due to a fire on board. Today, it attracts barracuda, giant batfish and, occasionally, white-tip sharks—a type of small reef shark.

—Kate Springer

Word History

First Known Use

1940, in the meaning defined at sense 2