blue whale

noun

: a very large baleen whale (Balaenoptera musculus synonym Sibbaldus musculus) that may reach a weight of 150 tons (136 metric tons) and a length of 100 feet (30 meters) and is generally considered the largest living animal

Illustration of blue whale

Examples of blue whale in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Rather than producing just a few large offspring (like, say, a coconut palm or a blue whale) annual plants throw a blue zillion seeds at you. —Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 15 Aug. 2025

This type of flexibility also gives ship captains the ability to veer slightly off schedule and turn the vessel around if, for instance, a blue whale is spotted and the team of onboard naturalists wants to turn the rare sighting into an educational moment. —Kaeli Conforti, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025

Or enough to give a blue whale a serious case of the munchies? —Kevin Jacobsen, EW.com, 2 Aug. 2025

On July 18, boaters got the chance to spot a blue whale with one of her babies, according to a Facebook post by the Monterey Bay Whale Watch. —Paloma Chavez, Sacbee.com, 21 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for blue whale

• airmail
• assail
• avail
• bewail
• blackmail
• cattail
• cocktail
• curtail
• derail
• detail
• dovetail
• email

Kids Definition

blue whale

noun

: a whale that may reach a weight of 150 tons (135 metric tons) and a length of 100 feet (30 meters) and is generally considered the largest living animal