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baleen whale
noun
: any of a suborder (Mysticeti) of usually large whales typically of colder waters that lack teeth but have baleen plates in the upper jaw which are used to filter chiefly small crustaceans (such as krill) out of large quantities of seawater see fin whale, gray whale, humpback whale, right whale, rorqual compare toothed whale
Examples of baleen whale in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For over 50 years, researchers have shared compelling anecdotes about baleen whales seemingly coordinating behavior over long distances, but the stories have remained just that—stories.
—Joanna Thompson, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Oct. 2024
Merrill pointed to a November 2022 study that estimated large baleen whales, such as blue whales, can consume up to 10 million microplastics each day.
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 17 Oct. 2024
Payne speculated that the larger baleen whales might travel in groups, too, but on a broader geographic scale.
—Joanna Thompson, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Oct. 2024
This whizzing tone using both low and high frequency pings sounds somewhat electronic or mechanical, unlike more melodic songs made by some baleen whales.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 18 Sep. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1874, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near baleen whale
Cite this Entry
“Baleen whale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/baleen%20whale. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
baleen whale
noun
: any of various usually large whales lacking teeth but having baleen for filtering small ocean animals (as krill) out of seawater compare toothed whale
More from Merriam-Webster on baleen whale
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about baleen whale
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