: planktonic crustaceans and their larvae (order or suborder Euphausiacea and especially genus Euphausia) that constitute the principal food of baleen whales
Examples of krill in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Researchers have found that leopard seals likely hunt seal pups and penguins in the day, while snacking on krill at night.
—
Katie Liu, Discover Magazine, 28 Feb. 2024
What Do Whale Sharks Eat? Whale sharks are filter feeders, primarily dining on plankton, krill, small fish, and occasionally on small squid or crustaceans.
—Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 8 Jan. 2024
Twenty-two species show up during this period, coming to feed on krill, capelin, and squid in the tens of thousands.
—Jennifer Billock, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Oct. 2023
Besides enhanced omega-3 absorption, krill oil is touted for its antioxidant content.
—Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 5 Mar. 2024
Spanning several years, the intense marine heatwave disrupted the food chain, including tiny organisms like krill that feed larger animals like whales.
—Lauren Sommer, NPR, 29 Feb. 2024
And as global warming melts sea ice at staggering rates, the habitat for krill is shrinking and humpback pregnancies are dropping.
—Bill Weir, CNN, 4 Feb. 2024
As humpbacks and even blue whales rebound in the South Atlantic Ocean, some researchers worry there won’t be enough krill to feed them.
—Douglas Main, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Jan. 2024
Phytoplankton are the backbone of the marine food web, and these tiny organisms support everything from tiny krill and fish up to marine mammals and seabirds.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 12 July 2023
Katie Liu, Discover Magazine, 28 Feb. 2024
What Do Whale Sharks Eat? Whale sharks are filter feeders, primarily dining on plankton, krill, small fish, and occasionally on small squid or crustaceans.
—Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 8 Jan. 2024
Twenty-two species show up during this period, coming to feed on krill, capelin, and squid in the tens of thousands.
—Jennifer Billock, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Oct. 2023
Besides enhanced omega-3 absorption, krill oil is touted for its antioxidant content.
—Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 5 Mar. 2024
Spanning several years, the intense marine heatwave disrupted the food chain, including tiny organisms like krill that feed larger animals like whales.
—Lauren Sommer, NPR, 29 Feb. 2024
And as global warming melts sea ice at staggering rates, the habitat for krill is shrinking and humpback pregnancies are dropping.
—Bill Weir, CNN, 4 Feb. 2024
As humpbacks and even blue whales rebound in the South Atlantic Ocean, some researchers worry there won’t be enough krill to feed them.
—Douglas Main, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Jan. 2024
Phytoplankton are the backbone of the marine food web, and these tiny organisms support everything from tiny krill and fish up to marine mammals and seabirds.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 12 July 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'krill.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Norwegian kril fry of fish
First Known Use
1907, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near krill
Cite this Entry
“Krill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/krill. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
krill
noun
: small crustaceans and their larvae that make up plankton and form a major food of baleen whales
More from Merriam-Webster on krill
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about krill
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share