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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
In other Pacific Ocean news, The Times’ Hayley Smith and Sean Greene reported on majestic blue whales in Southern California’s Santa Barbara Channel, and the deafeningly loud cargo ships going in and out of the L.A. and Long Beach ports that can make life hell for the mammals.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2024
For years, the icy waters off Antarctica have served as a recording studio for the biggest singers in the world: blue whales.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 6 May 2024
Although, instead of Big Macs, blue whales primarily eat huge amounts of krill.
—Julia Daye, Sacramento Bee, 1 May 2024
There was only one creature that could have had a jaw this size, roughly as big as a blue whale — a giant ichthyosaur.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2024
The Antarctic blue whale can weigh up to 400,000 pounds and stretches to 98 feet in length.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024
Orca–or killer whales–are the ultimate apex predators, who have been observed attacking great white sharks, porpoises, and even blue whales.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 20 Mar. 2024
For Page, who gets to call the ocean her office, the orcas add to the rich biodiversity found off the coast: gray whales during winter and spring, humpbacks during spring and fall, blue whales – the world’s largest mammal – during summer.
—Laylan Connelly, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024
Orcas have also been observed working in groups to push animals off ice floes, kill a bowhead whale and even take down a blue whale, writes National Geographic.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blue 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
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 May. 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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