whale shark

noun

: a shark (Rhincodon typus) of warm waters that has small teeth, feeds chiefly on plankton strained by its gill rakers, may sometimes attain a length of up to 60 feet (18.3 meters), and is the largest known fish

Examples of whale shark in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The fish have been found in the gills and cloacal openings of whale sharks and the mouths of lemon sharks. —Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 11 May 2026

One of the highlights comes off Sumbawa, where local fishing platforms known as bagans attract whale sharks feeding near the surface with small shrimp called ebi. —Dea Jusufi, Forbes.com, 9 May 2026

After being rescued from a Taiwanese fish market several years ago, Yushan is the only whale shark in captivity in the Western Hemisphere, according to aquarium officials. —CBS News, 8 May 2026

After being rescued from a Taiwanese fish market several years ago, Yushan is the only whale shark in captivity in the Western Hemisphere, according to aquarium officials. —ABC News, 7 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1885, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for whale shark

• disembark
• matriarch
• meadowlark
• patriarch
• watermark
• arc
• ark
• bark
• barque
• dark
• hark
• lark

Kids Definition

whale shark

noun

: a harmless shark of warm waters that feeds chiefly on plankton, may sometimes grow to a length of up to 60 feet (18.3 meters), and is the largest known fish