fin whale

noun

Definition of fin whale

: a baleen whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that may attain a length of over 70 feet (21 meters) and is found chiefly in subtropical to arctic and antarctic waters worldwide

— called also finback

Examples of fin whale in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web At least one 55-foot fin whale died of tar poisoning, and health officials slapped a temporary ban on seafood from the area. — Washington Post, "Israeli environment minister says Iran caused oil spill that coated country’s coastline," 3 Mar. 2021 Israel's Nature and Parks Authority has said that a young, 55-foot-long fin whale and six baby sea turtles have so far died of tar poisoning. — Washington Post, "Israel expands probe into the oil spill endangering its shoreline," 28 Feb. 2021 Finding more ways to use fin whale seismology could mean adding less to the cacophony. — New York Times, "Whale Songs Could Reveal Deep Secrets Beneath the Oceans," 11 Feb. 2021 The corpse of a 55-foot fin whale also washed ashore and the Israeli Parks Authority tells the Times of Israel that the oil spill may have contributed to its death. — Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, "Oil Spill Off Israeli Coast Covers Beaches and Wildlife in Tar," 23 Feb. 2021 The readings turned out to match the frequencies of fin whale calls. — Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, "Whales’ Long, Loud Calls Reveal Structure beneath Ocean Floor," 11 Feb. 2021 Compare this to the fin whale, the second largest animal ever: typically 80 feet long and 60 tons—less than half the blue whale’s weight. — Eric M. Keen, Scientific American, "Why Are Blue Whales So Gigantic?," 31 July 2020 The fin whales is the second-largest mammal in the world, after the blue whale. — Washington Post, "12-meter long fin whale washes up dead on UK beach," 29 May 2020 The king of strange beers, though, remains Iceland’s Brugghús Steðja, which makes Hvalur 2—a 5.2% ABV seasonal ale that incorporates the testicles of fin whales into the brewing process. — Chris Morris, Fortune, "If you like Skittles and Trix, you will love this new beer," 30 Jan. 2020

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

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Last Updated

29 Apr 2021

Cite this Entry

“Fin whale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fin%20whale. Accessed 9 May. 2021.

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