fur seal

noun

Updated on: 18 Apr 2018

Definition of fur seal

: any of various eared seals that have a double coat with a dense soft underfur and were hunted especially formerly for their desirable pelts:

a : a large seal (Callorhinus ursinus) of the northern Pacific Ocean having its main breeding rookery on Pribilof Island in the Bering Sea — called also northern fur seal

b : any of a genus (Arctocephalus) of seals chiefly of the southern hemisphere — called also southern fur seal

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Recent Examples of fur seal from the Web

The surgery was the first of its kind to treat hydrocephalus in fur seals.

— sarah gibbens, National Geographic, "First-of-Its-Kind Brain Surgery Saves Beloved Fur Seal," 2 Jan. 2018
The team took several MRI scans of Ziggy's head and flew in a fur seal skull from California to study.

— sarah gibbens, National Geographic, "First-of-Its-Kind Brain Surgery Saves Beloved Fur Seal," 2 Jan. 2018
National Geographic Critter Cams like the ones seen above also show how leopard seals prey on fur seal pups and steal food.

— sarah gibbens, National Geographic, "5 Videos Show the Irresistible Charm of Seals," 19 Sep. 2017
As early as the 1600s Dutch settlers killed Cape fur seals for their skins and oil.

— National Geographic, "Cape Fur Seal Trade Remains Shrouded in Secrecy," 21 Sep. 2016
These trips usually include visits to two of KI’s most popular natural attractions: Seal Bay, known for its beach-frolicking sea lions; and Flinders Chase National Park, home to a colony of New Zealand fur seals.

— laura kiniry, USA TODAY, "Seven once-in-a-lifetime safaris that aren’t in Africa," 31 Aug. 2017
Cape fur seals are found in the waters off southwestern southern Africa and are estimated to number approximately 1.7 million.

— National Geographic, "Cape Fur Seal Trade Remains Shrouded in Secrecy," 21 Sep. 2016
The surviving crew fixed the ship, stocked it full of hundreds of the sea otters, foxes and fur seals that were abundant there and returned to Siberia, impressing Russian fur hunters with their valuable cargo.

— william l. iggiagruk hensley, Smithsonian, "There Are Two Versions of the Story of How the U.S. Purchased Alaska From Russia," 29 Mar. 2017

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