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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
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Examples of fin whale in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web 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.
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Chris Morris, Fortune, "If you like Skittles and Trix, you will love this new beer," 30 Jan. 2020 The fin whale was only really hunted in large numbers [after] the explosive harpoon was invented [in the mid-19th century].
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Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Archaeologists Unearth Hollowed-Out Whale Vertebra Containing Human Jawbone, Remains of Newborn Lambs," 8 Nov. 2019 As Huw Williams reports for BBC News, the team’s preliminary findings suggest the bone belongs to a fin whale.
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Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Archaeologists Unearth Hollowed-Out Whale Vertebra Containing Human Jawbone, Remains of Newborn Lambs," 8 Nov. 2019 Scientists are hoping to try the tag on other whales, such as humpbacks, minke whales and fin whales.
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Amy Woodyatt, CNN, "A blue whale's heartbeat has been recorded for the first time - and the results are fascinating," 26 Nov. 2019 During a four-hour span, the sightings were mind-blowing: 55 humpback whales, 25 harbor porpoise, four killer whales (orcas), four fin whales, along with masses of sea lions too numerous to count.
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Tom Stienstra, SFChronicle.com, "Humpbacks, killer whales, fin whales star in coastal spectacle," 28 Aug. 2019 Minke and fin whales have short, coarse baleen, which is ideal for eating large fish and krill.
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Christian Åslund, National Geographic, "Melting ice may be a boon for some Arctic whales—then a bust," 2 July 2019 Since then, researchers have found other species of whale that sing, including blue whales, fin whales and minke whales.
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Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Listen to the First Known Song of the North Pacific Right Whale," 24 June 2019 All cellular species, from E. coli to fin whales, have a core set of genes in common.
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Quanta Magazine, "Scientists Map 5,000 New Ocean Viruses," 21 May 2015
See MoreThese 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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Time Traveler for fin whale
The first known use of fin whale was in 1885
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