fur seal

noun

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

Examples of fur seal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The network works with Guadalupe fur seal experts to help recover wayward fur seals found along the Oregon coastline. — oregonlive, "Rare Guadalupe fur seal pup rescued on Oregon coast," 19 Dec. 2020 An unprecedented die-off of over 5,000 Cape fur seal pups on a Namibian beach is being probed by the country’s fisheries ministry. — Kaula Nhongo, Bloomberg.com, "Die-Off of 5,000 Seal Pups on Beach Triggers Inquiry in Namibia," 14 Oct. 2020 Sea otters and fur seals, for example, catch air between their hairs to create an insulating bubble above the surface of their skin, says Dani Crain, a PhD candidate studying marine mammal anatomy at Baylor University. — Purbita Saha, Popular Science, "Stay-at-home science project: Craft handmade blubber," 30 Apr. 2020 Enjoy exploring trails that lead to gorgeous tide pools and grottos full of fauna, and snorkel nearby with the fur seals and marine birds. — Jordan Harvey, Travel + Leisure, "Jordan Harvey's Luxury 13-day Itinerary in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands," 23 Apr. 2020 As Dan Joling reports for the Associated Press, a fur seal breeding ground is booming on Bogoslof Island, which comprises the tip of an active undersea volcano. — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, "On an Active Volcano, a Northern Fur Seal Population Is Booming," 8 Oct. 2019 Sea lions, Guadalupe fur seals and baleen whales died at higher rates than usual. — oregonlive, "‘Unprecedented’ marine heatwave likely killed 1 million West Coast seabirds," 21 Jan. 2020 On Macquarie Island, beaches may be covered with royal penguins and fur seals. — Fran Golden / Bloomberg, Time, "8 Cruise Destinations to Inspire Your 2020 Travel Plans," 27 Dec. 2019 Nearly 70 percent of Cape fur seal skins went to Turkey. — Rachel Fobar, National Geographic, "U.S. demand for pets and skins threatens some African animals," 3 Oct. 2019

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.

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Cite this Entry

“Fur seal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fur%20seal. Accessed 3 Mar. 2021.

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