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blue whale
noun
: a very large baleen whale (Balaenoptera musculus synonym Sibbaldus musculus) that may reach a weight of 150 tons (136 metric tons) and a length of 100 feet (30 meters) and is generally considered the largest living animal
Examples of blue whale in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But blue whales, humpbacks, and fin whales are on the endangered list, and the Northern right whale is just about extinct – only about 350 of them are left on Earth.
—David Pogue, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2024
There are estimated to be 10,000 to 25,000 blue whales in the world.
—Sean Mowbray, Discover Magazine, 27 Sep. 2024
That’s because these blue whale bones are still leaking oil, despite the cetacean being dead for over two decades.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 16 Oct. 2024
In 1969, the American Museum of Natural History hired Mr. Ellis as an exhibition designer and assigned him to help build a life-size blue whale to hang from the ceiling in the Hall of Ocean Life.
—Michael S. Rosenwald, New York Times, 29 May 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1851, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near blue whale
Cite this Entry
“Blue whale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blue%20whale. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
blue whale
noun
: a whale that may reach a weight of 150 tons (135 metric tons) and a length of 100 feet (30 meters) and is generally considered the largest living animal
More from Merriam-Webster on blue whale
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about blue whale
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