Illustration of sperm whale
: a very large toothed whale (Physeter macrocephalus synonym P. catodon) that has large conical teeth in the lower jaw, a single blowhole, and a massive squarish head with a closed cavity containing a fluid mixture of spermaceti and oil, and that may reach a length in the male of nearly 60 feet (18.3 meters)
Examples of sperm whale in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In a study published Tuesday in Nature Communications, researchers examined a group of sperm whales in the waters surrounding the Caribbean island of Dominica, analyzing their whale calls.
—
Leah Sarnoff, ABC News, 8 May 2024
One possibility is that sperm whales are using the clicks as a form of language.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 May 2024
In a study published May 7 in the journal Nature Communications, researchers analyzed more than 8,700 snippets of sperm whale clicks, known as codas.
—Maria Cheng, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 May 2024
The analysis showed that the conventional catalog of sperm whale codas could not capture their full complexity.
—Carl Zimmer, New York Times, 7 May 2024
These orcas hunted a herd of nine adult female sperm whales, eventually making off with one.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 20 Mar. 2024
Toothed whales, which include dolphins, sperm whales and beluga whales, evolved a nasal vocal organ to make sounds, while baleens rely on their larynx.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Feb. 2024
Dominica Dominica is setting aside 304 square miles of ocean to protect endangered sperm whales.
—Jules Struck, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Dec. 2023
In the video, the gray sperm whales are seen huddled together as orcas circle around them.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2024
Leah Sarnoff, ABC News, 8 May 2024
One possibility is that sperm whales are using the clicks as a form of language.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 May 2024
In a study published May 7 in the journal Nature Communications, researchers analyzed more than 8,700 snippets of sperm whale clicks, known as codas.
—Maria Cheng, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 May 2024
The analysis showed that the conventional catalog of sperm whale codas could not capture their full complexity.
—Carl Zimmer, New York Times, 7 May 2024
These orcas hunted a herd of nine adult female sperm whales, eventually making off with one.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 20 Mar. 2024
Toothed whales, which include dolphins, sperm whales and beluga whales, evolved a nasal vocal organ to make sounds, while baleens rely on their larynx.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Feb. 2024
Dominica Dominica is setting aside 304 square miles of ocean to protect endangered sperm whales.
—Jules Struck, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Dec. 2023
In the video, the gray sperm whales are seen huddled together as orcas circle around them.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sperm whale.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to sperm whale
Dictionary Entries Near sperm whale
Cite this Entry
“Sperm whale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sperm%20whale. Accessed 14 May. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share