: 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
Examples of right whale in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebNorth Pacific right whales are baleen whales that can grow to be 64 feet long and 70 years old if left alone.—Julia Daye, Sacramento Bee, 28 May 2024 It is estimated that between 21,000 and 30,000 right whales were slaughtered in the North Pacific in a single decade.—Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 27 May 2024 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.
Share