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
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Scientists at Museums Victoria’s Research Institute say the discovery offers a rare glimpse into the earliest stages of baleen whale evolution, showing the family’s roots in active, sharp-toothed predators. Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 13 Aug. 2025 How the study was conducted The study reviewed 199 separate exchanges between 19 different species of dolphins and baleen whales captured in videos and photos. Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 13 Aug. 2025 Of the whale deaths, 21 were gray whales, two were unidentified baleen whales, and one was a minke whale. Sara Chernikoff, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2025 Minke whales are the smallest baleen whale in North American waters and can reach lengths of up to 35 feet and weigh 20,000 pounds, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Paloma Chavez, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for baleen whale

Word History

First Known Use

1874, in the meaning defined above

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

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Cite this Entry

“Baleen whale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/baleen%20whale. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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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