mackerel shark

noun

: any of a family (Lamnidae) of large sharks of tropical to cool temperate oceans that have a pointed snout and relatively few, large teeth and include the great white shark and mako sharks
especially : porbeagle

Examples of mackerel shark in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The existence of mackerel sharks with crushing teeth was unknown until now, Amadori said. Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 15 July 2024 The temperature of mackerel sharks also tends to vary across different body parts. John Timmer, Ars Technica, 26 June 2023 Megalodon was a white or mackerel shark, related to today’s great white shark. Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 18 Aug. 2023 Megalodon is a mackerel shark, as is today’s great white shark. Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 18 Aug. 2023 Massive prehistoric marine creatures like the megalodon, a mackerel shark thought to have been more than 50 feet long, lived and died in what is now the Cooper River, a short, wide river that begins at Lake Moultrie and eventually empties into Charleston Harbor. Lauren Oster, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 July 2023 Among the small remains found in the wreckage and debris was a turquoise and gold necklace made from the tooth of a Megalodon, a massive species of extinct mackerel shark that lived approximately 23 to 3.6 million years ago. Mario Abad, Robb Report, 26 May 2023 Megalodon was a colossal species of mackerel shark that stalked the oceans 3.6 to 23 million years ago. Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 June 2022 Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon researchers produced a skillful ten-year cod forecast, ecologists found that the age of a lobster can be determined by its DNA, and paleontologists sought to determine why so few species of mackerel shark are alive today. Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 23 Nov. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mackerel shark was in 1819

Dictionary Entries Near mackerel shark

Cite this Entry

“Mackerel shark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mackerel%20shark. Accessed 12 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

mackerel shark

noun
mack·​er·​el shark ˈmak-(ə-)rəl- How to pronounce mackerel shark (audio)
: any of a family (Lamnidae) of large aggressive pelagic sharks that include the great white shark

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