Bry·de's whale | \ ˈbrü-dəz- 
\
\Definition of Bryde's whale
: a slender baleen whale (Balaenoptera edeni synonym B. brydei) of warm seas of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans that is dark gray above and white below and has three parallel ridges that run from the snout to the blowholes
Bryde's whales—leviathans more than 40 feet long—surface, then roll languidly back underwater, flashing their white bellies, circling back over and over.— Melissa Gaskill, Nature Conservancy, Summer 2003
Note: The Bryde's whale is sometimes considered to comprise two separate species (B. edeni and B. brydei) with pygmy forms placed in a third species (B. omurai).
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on Bryde's whale
What made you want to look up Bryde's whale? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Words of Snow and Ice Quiz
- Which of the following refers to thin, bending ice, or to the act of running over such ice?
Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Anagram puzzles meet word search.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
- Words of Snow and Ice Quiz
A selection of words from the chillier parts of t...
Take the quiz - Name that Thing: Toys and Games Edition
It's all fun and games until someone beats your h...
Take the quiz - True or False?
Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something a...
Take the quiz - SCRABBLE® Sprint
SCRABBLE® fans, sharpen your skills!
Play the game
Share Bryde's whale
Time Traveler for Bryde's whale
The first known use of Bryde's whale was in 1913
See more words from the same year