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

From December through April, gray whales make their migration to Baja California to breed before returning to Alaska, and from June through October, visitors may spot blue whales during their migration. —Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 7 Dec. 2025

Some animals on the endangered species list include cheetahs, lemurs, marine otters, black rhinoceroses, blue whales, polar bears, and several others. —Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 20 Nov. 2025

Some are easy to locate, like the General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park, with a trunk roughly three times the volume of a blue whale. —AFAR Media, 28 Oct. 2025

Future designs include sculptures inspired by sea stars and the heart of a blue whale. —Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 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