bearded seal

noun

|Updated on: 13 Jul 2018

Definition of bearded seal

: a large arctic hair seal (Erignathus barbatus) with a tuft of long whiskers on each side of the muzzle

Recent Examples of bearded seal from the Web

Polar bears might be the least vulnerable, with four other important species—bearded seals, walruses, bowhead whales and ringed seals—probably falling somewhere in the middle.

— adam aton, Scientific American, "Ships Threaten Arctic Marine Mammals," 3 July 2018
In this vast, wild part of America, there may not be plumbing or potable water, the local store may not carry perishables and people may have to rely on caribou or salmon or bearded seal meat to stay fed.

— Alaska Dispatch News, "In Alaska’s far-flung villages, happiness is a cake mix," 18 Sep. 2017
In this vast, wild part of America, accessible only by water or air, there may not be plumbing or potable water, the local store may not carry perishables and people may have to rely on caribou or salmon or bearded seal meat to stay fed.

— julia o’malley, New York Times, "In Alaska’s Far-Flung Villages, Happiness Is a Cake Mix," 17 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bearded seal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.