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

Illustration of blue whale

Illustration of blue whale

Examples of blue whale in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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 See all Example Sentences for blue whale 

Word History

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of blue whale was in 1851

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!