right whale

noun

: any of several large baleen whales (family Balaenidae and especially genus Eubalaena) that lack a dorsal fin and have very long baleen plates, an extremely large head with a V-shaped blowhole, a smooth throat, short, broad, rounded flippers, and whitish protuberances of thickened skin about the head

Illustration of right whale

Illustration of right whale

Examples of right whale in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Ever watch Shark Week or hear about an entangled North Atlantic right whale being tracked to help disentangle it? Patrick Skerrett, STAT, 18 May 2024 There are approximately 356 North Atlantic right whales remaining, meaning every entanglement has a major impact on their small population. Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 14 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for right whale 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'right whale.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1725, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of right whale was in 1725

Dictionary Entries Near right whale

Cite this Entry

“Right whale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/right%20whale. Accessed 29 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

right whale

noun
: a large baleen whale with no fin on the back, a very large head, and small eyes near the lower part of the mouth

More from Merriam-Webster on right whale

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