baleen whale

noun

: any of a suborder (Mysticeti) of usually large whales typically of colder waters that lack teeth but have baleen plates in the upper jaw which are used to filter chiefly small crustaceans (such as krill) out of large quantities of seawater see fin whale, gray whale, humpback whale, right whale, rorqual compare toothed whale

Examples of baleen whale in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web This unique adaptation enables baleen whales to produce sound by recycling air—and avoid breathing in water, according to ABC News’ Julia Jacobo. Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Feb. 2024 Scientists learned that air sacs evolved to allow the baleen whale to recycle air while creating vocal sounds. Erin Clack, Peoplemag, 25 Feb. 2024 Air sacs also evolved in a way that may allow a baleen whale to recycle air while creating vocal sounds, according to researchers. Amarachi Orie, CNN, 22 Feb. 2024 There are 14 types of baleen whales, including the humpback, blue, and fin whales. Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 17 Jan. 2024 These specialized structures in baleen whales allow for sound to be produced and air recycled, while preventing the whales from inhaling water. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 21 Feb. 2024 While Friedlaender has been collecting whale data for more than 25 years, his work found new relevance after a team of economists from the International Monetary Fund estimated a single baleen whale provides about $2 million worth of Earth services, both in life and death. Bill Weir, CNN, 4 Feb. 2024 Much of how baleen whales hear, compared to toothed whales, is still a mystery. Sofia Quaglia, Discover Magazine, 27 Dec. 2023 What Did Megalodon Eat? Without humans around for food, however, these sharks, the largest fish to ever live, likely fed on other fish, baleen whales, and ancestral forms of orcas. Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 6 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'baleen 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

1874, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of baleen whale was in 1874

Dictionary Entries Near baleen whale

Cite this Entry

“Baleen whale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/baleen%20whale. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

baleen whale

noun
: any of various usually large whales lacking teeth but having baleen for filtering small ocean animals (as krill) out of seawater compare toothed whale

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